An Imperfectly Perfect Christmas
by acciodoxycide
Summary: Scorpius and Al have been dating for five years, and are living together in London. Scorpius and Draco don't exactly get along, but Scorpius still gets invited to the annual Malfoy Christmas party. Champagne-induced chaos ensues.
1. The Subtle Science of Persuasion

**Chapter One: The (Not So) Subtle Science And Exact Art of Persuasion**

"Oh please, please, _please_, Al!" Scorpius begged in a whining tone.

The couple was seated facing one another on their new, big, and expensive leather sofa in the lounge of their new, big, and expensive London flat. Finally, due to certain events of late, and after three and a half years of living in a shoebox together, Scorpius and Al could afford a nice flat, and nice things to put in it. For the first time in the history of their cohabitation, the decor of the rest of their flat matched the charming pictures that had adorned their walls all along. The moving photos depicted two people so strikingly different in appearance, that when placed next to each other, they made up a singularly gorgeous couple. These pictures showcased everything from two eleven year old boys who were best friends at Hogwarts pulling funny faces and waving at the camera, to two hormonal seventeen year olds snogging in front of the Shrieking Shack, to two twenty-one year old men beaming up at the camera at their graduation from Healer training and many other moments in between.

As for the two events of late that accounted for their sudden financial gains, the death of Lucius Malfoy had by far been the most lucrative. Scorpius's evil, ex-Death Eater grandfather had, by some miracle, remained blissfully unaware of the fact that Scorpius wasn't exactly the kind of pure-blooded heir he'd probably convinced himself he was leaving his considerable fortune to. It helped that he had gone somewhat senile in his advanced age. But, whatever the ultimate cause, and luckily for Scorpius and Al, Scorpius had managed to remain the sole heir to the Malfoy fortune. Draco got to keep Malfoy Manor, as Narcissa was still living out her remaining years there, but everything in the legendary Malfoy Gringotts vault was Scorpius's (and therefore, by extension, Al's too). And oh, what a vault it was. The first time Scorpius had taken Al to see it, Al's bright green eyes had nearly popped right out of his head, even considering the fact that his own family's vault was certainly nothing to sneeze at. Scorpius hadn't been able to wipe the smirk off his face. Sometimes Al felt guilty about spending inherited blood money on vintage wines and a flat with a view, but ultimately, it felt more like retribution than anything else. On the whole, they had spent the money wisely, too, and even saved the vast majority of it. The (now charmed, flying) Mercedes-Benz was admittedly an impulse buy, but considering the sheer number of Galleons they had been given to squander at their discretion, at least one stupid investment was bound to happen.

The second happy occurrence that accounted for their newfound riches was definitely more honourable. As of slightly over a year ago, Al and Scorpius had both completed their Healer training, and had both secured great jobs at St. Mungo's. Scorpius worked on the fourth floor, in the Janus Thickey ward for permanent residents ("Call it redemption," Scorpius would say to anyone who commented on his career choice), and was already gaining a sterling reputation for having one of the best bedside manners Mungo's had seen in a great long while. He also dabbled in potioneering, and was working toward developing new potion therapies for Cruciatus victims.

Al worked as a Mediwizard, mostly in the field, and he was currently training to specialize in Quidditch injuries. Furthermore, he had just landed his dream position as a trainee to the Mediwizard who was on-call at every Holyhead Harpies game and practice (and his mother had only been _ever_ _so_ _slightly_ involved in getting him the job). All in all, things were splendid for the couple, and they were happy, but things were definitely not perfect, which brings us back to the present conversation:

"I just don't know, Scorpius. The whole family expects me to be at the Burrow. And besides, I don't exactly fancy spending my Christmas being called 'Potty' accidentally-on-purpose by your forty nine year old father." Al responded to Scorpius's pleading in an uneasy tone.

"I know my father's an immature prick, babe. Trust me, no one understands this more than I do. The party won't be all bad, though," Scorpius sounded as if he were trying to convince himself as much as Al. "There will be champagne, and caviar, and shrimp cocktails, and escargot, and calamari -"

"- Okay, okay, I get it, your parents serve pretentious foods. But do you honestly expect alcohol, fish eggs, ocean bottom-feeders, snails, and squid to make this any more tolerable?" Al sounded slightly annoyed now.

"Well, perhaps not the snails, but the alcohol..." Scorpius trailed off.

Ever since the night Scorpius had showed up at Al's flat with a trunk and a duffel bag containing all of his material possessions (slightly over five months after the two of them had left Hogwarts), Scorpius's relationship with his father had been in a steady downward spiral. That night, Draco had questioned Scorpius about his _"_objectionable_"_ relationship with Al, and Scorpius had found himself unable to lie any longer. What had followed was four years of awkward (at best), and forced (at worst) encounters between Scorpius and Draco, usually instigated by a crestfallen and conflicted Astoria, that had finally culminated in an embarrassingly public row over the inheritance between Father and Son at Lucius's funeral. Since then, Scorpius had vowed never to return to Malfoy Manor unless personally invited by his father, who was acting upon a desire to bury the proverbial hatchet. Unfortunately for Al, that personal invitation had come by owl post a week and a half ago. It was an invitation to the annual lavish, and even more snobbish, Malfoy Christmas party.

"Al, please. You know I can't possibly face this without you; and I've already told mother I'm coming." Scorpius was now adding emotional appeal and reasoning to his begging.

"Well, then maybe you should have asked me if I was alright with this before you implicated me in your plans and made promises to your mother!" Al was bordering on angry now.

Scorpius took both of Al's hands in his upon sensing danger.

"Come on, Al. Don't be cross, please. I promise you we will go to the Burrow before we go to my parent's, but I need you to do this one thing for me, babes. Then I'll owe you one. You know if you're not there with me I'll probably go mad with frustration again like I did at Grandfather's funeral, only this time I may end up doing something worth while with all of my righteous anger...like smothering Father with a pillow."

"Merlin knows you'll owe me one," Al replied tersely, under his breath.

"Does that mean you'll do me the pleasure of accompanying me?" Scorpius sounded hopeful.

"That depends. How much richer would we get if you _did_ smother Draco with a pillow?" Al asked sardonically.

"No richer," Scorpius replied matter-of-factly. "Mother is the only person on Father's will."

"Well, in that case, fine, I'll go. But Merlin knows I am only agreeing to this because I love you, you git." Al seemed to have resolved himself to the worst. He had long since learned when Scorpius wouldn't take no for an answer. Despite the rest of his innumerable differences from his family, Scorpius was a Slytherin through and through.

Scorpius launched himself across the sofa and began kissing Al all over his face, knocking his glasses askew. Al managed to fight him off, though.

"However," Al said in a stern tone, "the first rude thing your arse of a father says -"

Scorpius cut him off.

"- If my _complete _and _total_ arse of a father so much as _looks_ at you rudely, I _will_ ruin his party and his reputation, seeing as how numerous colleagues, old friends, and snooty relatives of his will be in attendance; and that, sweetheart, is a promise."

Unfortunately for everyone involved, Scorpius is not known for breaking promises.


	2. Dinner With the Potters

**Chapter Two: Dinner With the Potters**

Two days later found Scorpius and Al having dinner in Godric's Hollow with Al's siblings and parents. At least weekly, the family reunited over dinner to catch up with the happenings in everyone's respective lives. Mercifully, Al's family got on very well with Scorpius, and Al honestly would have accepted nothing less. Over five years was, after all, quite enough time to get over the initial shock. Even Harry had gotten past the fact that his son was dating, living with, and raising a Kneazle with the son of his once-mortal enemy ("How would you like to be judged because of the people who raised _you_, Harry Potter?" Ginny had once asked him rather threateningly after Al had first started bringing Scorpius around for dinners and family events. Harry had quickly changed his tune after that).

Al's older brother James was reserve seeker for the Montrose Magpies Quidditch team, and was the perpetual eligible bachelor. Sometimes he would bring his flavour of the week, usually a pretty but frivolous girl, with him to dinner. She would always seem to be both terrified and thrilled to be having dinner with the Potters. Tonight, to everyone's satisfaction, however, he had not brought anyone.

Lily was working as junior editor of _Witch Weekly _magazine, and, much to the distress of James and Al, seemed to have a new gentleman caller (or two) every weekend. Considering the romantic lives of all three of her children, Ginny was beginning to worry that she might never be a grandmother.

Out of everyone in Al's family, Scorpius got on best with Lily. In fact, they were nearly inseparable. It was not uncommon for Al to come home after working late at St. Mungo's to find his sister and his boyfriend lounging in pyjamas, listening to Quidditch on the WWN, or tearing up the kitchen together while attempting to make them all dinner. As much as Al sometimes found the unannounced and highly regular presence of Lily in his flat annoying, he loved the relationship she had with Scorpius. Lily often referred to Scorpius as her brother, and she was always quick to defend the couple against anyone who might dare to stare or snicker at them while in her presence. She had even been known to make an example of family members whom she caught referring to Scorpius as "Malfoy".

All things considered, Al's family was incredibly supportive, and no one was more grateful for this than Scorpius. It was true that, at times when things were rather horrible for him with his own family, the comfort that was Al's welcoming family kept him sane. He knew though, that because of his parentage, he was eternally treading on thin ice. He therefore wanted nothing more than to please the Potters with the person he had become in spite of his condemning bloodline. This was why Scorpius was particularly nervous for Al to break the news to his family tonight that he would be going with him to Malfoy Manor on Christmas Eve.

"Oi, Lil, pass me a roll, would you?" James asked Lily, a note of laughter in his voice. The rolls were down the table, equally close to James as they were to Lily.

"Of course, dear brother," Lily replied in a sarcastically sweet voice. She then swiftly pointed her wand at the rolls, one of which soared up into the air and then pelted itself at James' head. Scorpius high-fived Lily under the table, as Al, Harry, and Ginny snickered heartily.

"Oh, sod off, the lot of you," James said, looking disgruntled

"So, dad, I'm going with Scorpius to a party at Malfoy Manor on Christmas Eve," Al randomly blurted out all in one breath.

Harry simultaneously spat out and inhaled the oak-matured mead he had been drinking, spraying it all over his wife's face. After she had wiped herself off, she muttered a spell, and Harry's coughing fit ceased. Scorpius wanted to Disapparate on the spot, but instead contented himself with stomping on Al's foot under the table.

"Ow! What the bloody hell..." Al started indignantly, but trailed off upon seeing the utter panic in Scorpius's grey eyes.

"Albus Severus, language!" Ginny shot across the table.

Al blushed at his mum's use of his full name.

"Merlin, sorry...didn't realize I was still twelve..." Al muttered to his dinner plate. Ginny glared at him, as if daring him to continue.

"Ahem, Malfoy Manor? Christmas? You know you're expected at grandmum and granddad's on Christmas, Albus," Harry interjected, clearly wishing to get back to the matter that had nearly choked him to death.

"I know, I know," Al began, "and we're planning to go to the Burrow before we go to Scorpius's parent's house -"

But his father cut him off.

"- And who, may I ask will be in attendance at this party?" Harry asked, directing the question at Scorpius, who was nearly cowering by now, looking a little bit like a puppy that had just wet on the carpet.

Al wanted nothing more than to squeeze him and kiss him on the cheek, but that wasn't really an option at the moment. Instead, he had to settle for placing a (hopefully reassuring) hand on his knee under the tablecloth. Scorpius found his courage somehow, however, and spoke up.

"Um, Well, Mr. Potter -"

"- Honestly, Scorpius, you can call me Harry," Al's father interrupted him with this request for probably the millionth time. This seemed to encourage Scorpius, if only slightly.

"Sorry. Right, uh, well...Harry, my mother and father will be there, naturally, and my grandmother. I expect some people from my father's department at the ministry will be there, as well. Lets see, Gregory Goyle and his son, Vince," Scorpius pulled a disgusted face at the thought, but continued, "Aunt Daphne, a few of Mother's old school friends, maybe..." Scorpius had run out of people to list off to Harry. The truth was that he really wasn't sure who would be at this party. He had always hated the Christmas party his parents threw every year, and consequently had spent most of them hiding out in his bedroom.

"Forgive me, but how many of these people have Dark Marks on their arms?" Harry asked calmly.

Immediately following this statement, you could cut the tension in the room with a knife. Lily had clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes going very wide. James's jaw dropped and he looked from Scorpius, to his father, and then back to Scorpius.

"Harry!" Ginny hissed furiously.

"Dad!" Al half shouted over his mother's hiss.

"Scorpius, I apologize. I didn't mean to insult you or your family, but I need to be informed on what kind of situation my son will be walking into...call it an occupational hazard," Harry said, referring to his career as Head Auror.

"Dad, for Merlin's sake, it's a _Christmas Party_, not the ex-Death Eater's reunion! How could you ask him something like that?" Al sounded simply furious, and Ginny and Lily were likewise staring daggers at their husband and father. James looked apprehensively interested, but Scorpius just looked ashamed. Al would have preferred it if Scorpius had looked as angry as he himself felt, as perhaps it would have made him want to stab his father with his fork a little less. Al opened his mouth again to continue his tirade, but Scorpius held up a hand to silence him.

"Only one, that I know of, but you would probably know better than I...and you can insult my family all you like," Scorpius replied, his eyes fixed on the wall above Harry's head.

"No, he can't! Being an Auror doesn't give him the right to be an insensitive -"

Al's dad cut him off before he got to hear just what he was, "Albus, enough. I have apologized for being rude, and you should all know that I just have the well being of my family at heart," Harry said, sounding sincere.

"If it makes you feel any better, Mr. Potter - er, Harry, - I would never let anything happen to Al. Ever." If his complexion would have allowed it, Scorpius would have blushed upon speaking these words, but he said them nonetheless.

"I appreciate that sentiment, Scorpius," Harry replied, "Now, will everyone stop looking at me like I'm something nastier than a Flobberworm? There are no hard feelings between Scorpius and I, am I right?" He asked Scorpius.

"Absolutely right," Scorpius replied, looking relieved.

Everyone else in the room seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, as well, though Al and Ginny still looked slightly unconvinced. Al spoke first, however, and his voice was no longer laced with anger.

"It's a good thing I have your _permission_ to go," he put emphasis on the word permission, implying that he shouldn't need it, "because Scorpius was threatening to smother his father with a pillow if he had to go alone."

"In that case, maybe I _shouldn't_ let you attend," Harry replied, though his tone of voice made it clear that he was kidding.

"Harry!" Ginny said again, this time in a loud, exasperated voice, as she swatted her husband's arm. Scorpius just chuckled appreciatively at Harry's words, though.

"Joking, joking!" Harry said, a grin on his face. "Now, who wants dessert?"


	3. Nine in the Sodding Morning

**Chapter Three: Nine in the Sodding Morning**

Christmas Eve dawned cold and bright. Al staggered towards the kitchen at around nine a.m., after rolling over and discovering that Scorpius's side of the bed was empty. Upon reaching the threshold of the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks. Scorpius was seated at their kitchen table in the _"_Gentlemen Prefer Blondes_"_ girl's T-shirt that Lily had found in a Muggle shop, and brought back for him from her trip to the United States two years ago, and flannel pyjama trousers. This sight, though a bit hilarious, it was true, wasn't what made Al stop dead. Rather, it had been the sight of the fourth-empty bottle of Irish whiskey, which had been full the night before, sitting next to Scorpius's coffee mug. Apparently, Scorpius had already consumed three or more Irish Coffees that morning.

"Scorpius Hyperion!" Al said in a reproving tone.

"Yes, Albus Severus?" Scorpius deadpanned.

"Why in Merlin's name are you getting pissed at nine in the sodding morning? Trying to recapture the magic that was your grandfather's funeral at the party tonight, are we?" Al asked him, very disapprovingly.

"Well, happy Christmas to you too, love," Scorpius said sarcastically. "Eggnog?" He then offered a mug to Al, as he took the eggnog and a bottle of brandy out of their refrigerator, his voice more cheerful now. Al rolled his eyes as he gave Scorpius a good-morning kiss, but took the mug from him anyway.

Scorpius didn't usually drink in excess, but the last couple of times he had been required to see his father, he had insisted on drinking a bit too much liquid courage beforehand. Al didn't necessarily approve of Scorpius's daddy-induced drinking habits, but he supposed anything that made their encounters more tolerable was worth it, and, come to that, he couldn't promise that he'd be going to this party one-hundred per cent sober tonight, either.

Just then, there was a _pop_ in the entryway.

"Lily!" Scorpius said excitedly.

Al rolled his eyes again, but smiled affectionately. And, sure enough, Al's little sister was joining them in the kitchen a moment later.

"And how is my favourite couple this lovely Christmas Eve?" Lily asked, sounding distinctly happy. She proceeded to hug them both and kiss each of them on the cheek.

"Good," Al replied.

"_Really_ good," Scorpius said, pouring a double shot of brandy into his eggnog and stirring the mixture.

Al caught Lily's eye, and she returned his gaze with a knowing look.

"Aw, thank you, Scorp!" She said sweetly, getting away with dropping the nickname Scorpius detested, as she swiped the un-offered mug out of his hand. Scorpius looked dumbfounded for a split second, but then apparently decided to let it pass, and got up to get himself a new mug out of the cupboard.

"Eck!" Lily exclaimed as she sipped the eggnog she had just intercepted, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "I prefer a little brandy in my eggnog, not vice-versa. Is someone a little nervous about seeing daddy dearest tonight?"

"You might say," Scorpius replied, laughing half-heartedly, his eyes beginning to glaze over from the alcohol now. He then swiftly changed the subject. Al knew that he and Lily were quite possibly the only two people on the face of the earth that Scorpius would admit his nervousness to.

"So, Lily, you say we're your favourite couple?" Scorpius asked, smirking.

"Obviously," Lily replied, "Want to know why?" She asked, but didn't give either of them time to respond. "Because even a blind person couldn't mistake you for overly-affectionate siblings, and you both have horrendous names!"

Scorpius laughed heartily this time, sounding drunker by the second. Fortunately, he was usually pretty entertaining and cute when he got pissed, Al thought idly.

"Pour me another glass of that eggnog, would you, darling? Just a single shot, though," Al asked Scorpius, giving in to the inevitable. If Scorpius was going to get rat arsed before tonight, and apparently he was, Al figured he might as well be on the same level.

"With pleasure!" Scorpius replied, handing Al back his mug, now full again, in a matter of seconds.

"Well!" Lily said, clapping her hands together. "It appears that you two are in fine condition, or, at least you certainly will be by the time I see you next, especially if Scorpius keeps making the drinks, so, I'll leave you to it. Just don't forget, Grandmum and Granddad's tonight at five thirty! And I suggest you stop drinking before, say, four or so, that is, if you want to avoid being sick all over the Christmas pudding," Lily giggled.

"Duly noted, Lils," Al replied, "Happy Christmas! We'll see you tonight."

"Yes, happy Christmas, Lily! Thanks for stopping by," Scorpius added.

Lily then hugged and kissed them both again, and with a _pop_, she was gone.


	4. A Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter Four: A Calm Before the Storm**

Scorpius and Al arrived at the Burrow at five forty five that evening. Scorpius had had trouble matching socks to the rest of his outfit, and, much to Al's annoyance; this had caused them to Disapparate fifteen minutes behind schedule. "You're mental! No one is even going to see your bloody socks!" Al had chided after Scorpius had been deliberating over black, grey, or pinstriped for ten minutes. Finally, though, they had arrived at Al's grandparent's cosy, magically supported home.

The couple was severely overdressed, as they had decided not to change between events. Scorpius was wearing fine black and grey dress robes, and looked as though he had just stepped out of a Madam Malkin's ad. No matter how he tried, Al could never look as smart as his boyfriend. His eternally messy hair, glasses, and light smattering of freckles simply did not lend themselves to his looking anything better than out of place in formal wear. He had honestly put in an effort tonight though, considering the occasion, and donned the sole set of dress robes he possessed, which were jade green, and brought out the color of his eyes, if absolutely nothing else.

"You look like a million Galleons, love," Scorpius had said sweetly as Al had attempted, in vain, to flatten his hair one more time, just before they left their flat. "Now leave your adorable cowlicks alone, and stop fretting! Lets go," Scorpius continued, as he dragged Al away from their bedroom mirror by the arm.

"Sure you've picked the right socks, Mr. Stop Fretting?" Al asked grudgingly.

"That's _Healer_ Stop Fretting, to you!" Scorpius had then proceeded to shut Al up by kissing him on the mouth as they Disapparated together for the Burrow.

Across the kitchen, someone had finally cottoned on to their presence. Unfortunately, that someone was James, who upon seeing their attire felt it prudent to wolf-whistle loudly.

"Good evening, gentlemen! I didn't realize that the ex-Death Eater's reunion was a formal occasion," James said, a grin playing at his lips as he crossed the kitchen and squeezed himself between Scorpius and Al, slinging his arms around their respective shoulders.

Al elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Ow! Come on, Al, I was only having a laugh!" James leapt away from the offending elbow.

"Oh, and you're very funny, aren't you?" The three young men turned around to see who had spoken.

"Rosie!" Al strode forward and hugged his favourite cousin tightly, as his older brother moseyed out of the kitchen. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas to the both of you, too!" She said, beaming up at the pair of them as Scorpius took her hand and kissed it. "I've missed you two! Sorry I've been so scarce lately, but this internship with mum has been keeping me entirely too busy."

Rose had been interning at the Department of Magical Law with her mother, Al's Aunt Hermione, for the past month. Since leaving Hogwarts, Rose had pursued several different occupational paths, and seemed to be on a personal mission to rack up as much education and work experience, and to simultaneously find her true calling, before settling on anything.

"Anyway, how have you both been? How is work?" Rose asked them enthusiastically.

"It's excellent!" Al told her, smiling broadly. "I've been learning loads working with the Harpies."

"And how about you, Scorpius? Enjoying Mungo's fourth floor?" Rose asked esoterically. People understood that it took a very special personality to do what Scorpius did.

"Oh, yes. I love my patients," Scorpius said, smiling serenely. "And I didn't get anything thrown at me last week, either, so that's a plus," He added, making them all chuckle.

"Well, that's excellent, you two. I'm so glad to know things are going well. I have to ask, though, is it true that you both are leaving to go to Malfoy Manor tonight? It must be, considering how dashing you both look." Rose's voice contained a note of well-hidden disappointment.

"Unfortunately, yes, it is true," Scorpius replied. "As you may have heard, my _dear _father and I got into a rather tactless row at my grandfather's funeral, and I haven't been to the manor since. But then, almost two weeks ago, I received an invitation to my parent's annual Christmas party. Well, along with the invitation was a note from Father carrying heavy implications that my mother was going mad over our falling out, and so, mostly for her sake, I felt obliged to attend. Al was nice enough to allow me to coerce him into coming with me tonight, too."

Rose listened as Scorpius spoke, nodding every so often.

"I see. Well, I hope it goes alright...looks as though I'm going to need to recruit someone to take Al's place hiding me from the embarrassment that is my dad once he and Uncle George get pissed...and Grandmum once she starts singing 'A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love'." Rose's statement made them all laugh again.

"Damn it! I had forgotten about 'A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love'! That's usually the highlight of my Christmas!" Al proclaimed, putting his hands on his hips and mock glaring at Scorpius.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'll get pissed and sing it for you tonight, alright Al?" Scorpius offered, grinning.

Rose giggled.

"Well, you'll have nothing on Grandmum's skills, I'm sure, but I suppose that'll have to do." Al replied, pinching his boyfriend's arse covertly.

"I saw that, Albus Severus!" Thankfully, it was Lily who had spoken. She had crept up behind them unnoticed.

Al blushed.

"Happy Christmas, Rosie!" She trilled.

"And you!" Rose smiled sweetly as she moved to hug the younger redhead.

"Well, I see the two of you have managed to sober up since the last time I saw you," Lily said, winking at Al and Scorpius.

"Unfortunately," Scorpius said discontentedly. "I keep forgetting where I'll be in a couple of hours."

"Well, if you're interested..." Lily pulled a bottle of expensive champagne out of her sizable handbag, and summoned them four flutes. They each took a hovering glass, and took turns pouring the champagne, which Lily had uncorked with her wand, into them.

"To...insufferable family." Scorpius offered the toast, holding his glass aloft for the others to tap theirs against.

"Here, here," Rose agreed grimly, taking a drink. "Dad's already begun hitting the Firewhiskey, and I saw Granddad making Grandmum her first spiked tea twenty minutes ago."

"Oh, jolly," Lily chimed in. "If your dad's drinking, that means my dad's drinking. At least Uncle Ron just cuts to the chase and drinks the hard stuff. Our dad," She continued, nodding in Al's direction "seems to think that he won't get pissed if he only drinks wine. 'I've only had _eleven_ glasses of mulled wine, Ginny! I'm fine to Apparate!'" Lily imitated their father jovially. Everyone burst into laughter.

"I wish my father would get properly pissed...maybe then he wouldn't act like he's got something stuck up his arse...although..." Scorpius trailed off suggestively, smirking.

Everyone rolled their eyes and laughed again, as Al blushed to the roots of his jet hair, looking both mortified and amused.

Scorpius drained his glass and poured a second, Al following suit shortly thereafter. Just then, Ginny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the kitchen.

"There you are, you two," Al's mother said to Al and Scorpius. "We've been looking for you."

"Mustn't have been looking very hard. We've been in here chatting the whole time," Al responded.

"Oh, tosh," Ginny dismissed him, pulling him, then Scorpius in for a hug.

The rest of the adults followed suit with Al, though Scorpius just got handshakes from Harry and Ron, and a smile from Aunt Hermione. Al wondered if his father had asked the other adults not to mention their dress robes, or what later happenings they alluded to.

"Come along, now. You need to come say hello to your grandparents." Al and Scorpius then allowed Al's mum to usher them away to find Al's grandparents.

Scorpius shot Al a nervous sidelong glance as they walked through the house, but Al just smiled at him reassuringly.

After Molly and Arthur had been located and properly greeted, Scorpius and Al broke away from Ginny and ascended the rickety old staircase that lead up to the bedrooms, and, presumably, more of Al's cousins. Scorpius pulled Al close on one of the deserted landings, so as to whisper in his ear.

"Al, I'm starting to lose my nerve...it's nearly six thirty. Could we possibly find some of that Firewhiskey everyone but us seems to be partaking in?" Scorpius asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but his worried eyes, which Al could read effortlessly, gave him away.

"This is why we are heading upstairs, sweetheart," Al replied in hushed tones. "Fred and Roxanne are up here somewhere, and Fred and Roxanne usually equal a supply of Firewhiskey. Also, we'll be eating soon, and I bet, if you apply yourself, you can get by with consuming multiple glasses of wine with dinner." Al tried to sound upbeat, and hoped his voice wasn't betraying his own growing nerves.

"I can't possibly eat, Al. My stomach is in about eleven knots," Scorpius said, sounding quite miserable now, and giving Al those big, grey puppy eyes that turned his insides to marshmallow.

Al turned to face Scorpius, smiling at him lovingly, then, after looking around to make sure no one was near them, laced the fingers of his left hand with that of Scorpius's right, and ran his right hand through Scorpius's white-blond hair, pulling him in for a kiss.

"Scorpius, I love you, and everything is going to be okay," Al whispered between them after their lips had parted.

"I love you, too, Al. And thanks...thanks for being...amazing." Nerves seemed to have slightly unhinged the usually decidedly un-sappy Scorpius.

"Oh, no problem," Al said, raising his voice back to a normal level. "Amazing is my middle name, you know: Albus Severus Amazing Potter." He grinned and winked, trying to inject some confidence into them both.

"Just when we thought your name couldn't get any more ridiculous," Scorpius joked back.

"A bit rich of you, don't you think, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy?"

Scorpius just grinned in reply, flashing Al his perfect teeth.

"Now, come on," Al said, leading Scorpius by the hand he was still holding, "let's go find Fred and Roxy."

And so they did.


	5. How the Cauldron Cake Crumbles

**Chapter Five: How the Cauldron Cake Crumbles**

At seven thirty, Scorpius and Al materialized in Wiltshire, on the narrow lane leading up to the drive of the vast manor house that could be seen not so far off in the distance. Scorpius was gripping Al's hand so tightly it almost hurt as they walked up the lane towards the yew hedges that surrounded the grounds of Malfoy Manor. Scorpius swerved slightly as they walked along, having succeeded in consuming four glasses of wine with dinner (which he ate scarcely five bites of) in rapid succession, as well as some Firewhiskey besides. Al couldn't remember the last time he had been this nervous, and, judging by the way he was trying to separate Al's fingers from the rest of his hand, Scorpius couldn't either.

As they approached the wrought-iron gate that stood between the manor's drive and the lane, Scorpius and Al exchanged one last terrified look. Then, quite arbitrarily, Scorpius placed a hand on either side of Al's face and dragged the shorter boy upwards to meet his lips, causing Al to have to stand on tiptoe. Their kiss was a bit sloppier than usual, given Scorpius's tipsy state, but it seemed to embolden them both all the same. Without speaking, Scorpius turned, still clutching Al's hand, and strode through the closed gate as though it were smoke. When Scorpius had made it all the way through, however, Al's outstretched hand hit solid metal. Scorpius cursed under his breath, took out his wand, muttered an incantation, and tapped his wand against the gate (rather harder than was necessary), which then opened to admit Al. This was not a good sign. All of Al's nerves rushed back to him, bringing more along besides.

"Scorpius, they do know I'm coming, your parents?" Al asked uneasily, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"Well," Scorpius coughed a little, "I mentioned it to Mother..." Scorpius sounded terrifyingly noncommittal.

"You mentioned it to Mother?" Al repeated, something akin to panic rising in his voice. "Please, Scorpius, do not tell me that means your father is not expecting me tonight."

Scorpius drew in a breath that hitched audibly in his throat as he realized his error. He supposed he had forgotten that his parents didn't exactly snuggle in bed and recite every detail of their day to each other on a nightly basis (or ever, for that matter), the way he and Al did. Therefore, it was entirely possible that his mother had not shared with his father the fact that Al was coming. Shite.

Al gaped at Scorpius in furious, disbelieving consternation. And what was worse, Scorpius could think of nothing he could possibly say to Al that would make this situation seem any better, without it being a downright lie. It was in this moment that Scorpius realized he would be ruining his father's party and reputation that evening. Draco was bound to be rude.

Al had his eyes shut tightly in anger now. After a moment, he snapped them open again and spoke in a barely managed, forced calm, "Well, there it is then. Your silence says it all. I'm not sure how this could get any worse, but I'm sure it can, so, let's just get in and get out as quickly as possible. Come on, before I decide to Disapparate back to the Burrow and leave your dim-witted arse here." Al then set off down the driveway several paces ahead of Scorpius.

"Al, wait for me! I wouldn't want the peacocks to attack you," Scorpius called after Al, knowing full well that the peacocks were harmless. He just wanted his boyfriend to be walking by his side again.

Al couldn't tell if Scorpius was kidding. It wouldn't surprise him if Mr. Malfoy had a party of attack peacocks lurking in his gardens. Al slowed his pace to allow Scorpius to catch up with him.

"I was only jo -"

"- Shut up."

Scorpius did as he was told.

All too soon, the two of them were at the front door, which was hung with an over-sized, ornate Christmas wreath. Scorpius took the door's silver knocker, which was in the shape of a serpent, in his hand.

_"Gross,"_ Al thought to himself upon seeing the knocker. He had never noticed it during any of his previous (and very occasional) visits to the manor. Perhaps it was new. Double gross. He was such a traitor to Slytherin.

While Al had been musing about undesirable snake paraphernalia and Slytherin, Scorpius looked skyward and took a deep breath before knocking the silver serpent quickly against the door three times.

Al had the sudden urge to blurt out,_ "Well, looks like no one's home!"_ and sprint back down the drive, but he resisted, actively trying to keep the pudding he had just eaten at the Burrow in his stomach where it belonged.

He looked up at Scorpius. Their eyes met.

"I'm sorry!" Scorpius mouthed at him, sticking out his bottom lip slightly in a pout, obviously wanting Al's official pardon for forgetting to mention his attendance to his father. Al felt his heart melting; knowing Scorpius was nothing if not able to extract any emotion from him at any given time. Damn him. Al simply rolled his eyes in Scorpius's direction, but the blond knew he had been successfully forgiven.

At that moment, the great door before them opened. Al braced himself as he looked up to see who had opened it, praying with all his might that it had been Astoria, even Narcissa, for that matter, just _not Draco_. At first glance, however, it appeared that it had been no one at all, until...

"Happy Christmas, young Master Malfoy!" The distinctly squeaky voice of a house-elf called from three feet above the ground, as they stepped into the prodigious entrance hall.

_"Of course,"_ Al thought, _"poor Tippy will be doing most of the leg work tonight."  
_  
"And a very happy Christmas to you, too, Tippy!" Scorpius said to the elf most kindly, kneeling down to speak to her. "But Tippy, please, just call me Scorpius, and that is an order," He continued, still smiling.

"Very well," She squeaked. "May Tippy take Scorpius's and Master Potter's cloaks and scarves?"

She remembered who Al was from his last visit some four and a half years ago. How sweet.

"Thank you, Tippy," Scorpius said, shrugging off his cloak and disentangling himself from his scarf, then moving to help Al out of his cloak, quite unnecessarily.

The poor elf looked like she might topple over under the combined weight of their cloaks, but she managed somehow to weave her way to the cloak wardrobe without incident.

When Al raised his eyes from the elf, the sight that met them was almost too grandiose to take in. Green and gold garland hung from every surface, and the two fires roaring within their polished marble fireplaces seemed to make the whole sumptuous room glitter. Before them, three ornate wooden tables had been assembled in a row to hold every hors d'oeuvre imaginable, all of which were presented on gold, silver, or crystal wares. A ten-foot tall Christmas tree sparkled in the far corner of the room, bedecked with all manors of gold and silver baubles, tinsel and everlasting icicles hanging from every branch. Music was playing softly somewhere, and the sound of affluent people making idle small talk was in the air. The party was already in full swing, as it had started at seven, and it was now after half past. Next to Al, Scorpius looked like he was about to be physically ill from the sight of it all. Before he could be, however, Astoria Malfoy had descended the sweeping marble staircase on their left, and spotted her son.

"Scorpius, darling!" She swooned as she walked over to meet them, looking elegant and beautiful for a woman of her age in the flowing silver gown she had picked for the occasion. "Oh, how I've missed you!" She said, pulling Scorpius into a tight embrace. "Happy Christmas, angel," She practically cooed; now leaning up to kiss Scorpius's forehead.

Scorpius flushed pink as he murmured a reply. Al fought to keep his face impassive.

_"Angel?"_ Al repeated mentally in disbelief. He thought Scorpius's mum was being a little bit melodramatic, perhaps, the poor woman. Poor Scorpius. As comical as it was, Al couldn't quite help feeling a bit sorry for Astoria. Indeed, he wondered how his own mother would react if he hadn't been to see her in nearly half a year.

Astoria had dark hair and eyes, and olive skin to match. Al could not imagine a mother and son who looked less alike than the two that stood before him, that is, until he caught a glimpse of Astoria's smile. That dazzling, light-up-the-room smile appeared to be the one physical feature Scorpius had inherited from his mother, and Al suddenly felt compelled to hug her in appreciation. A moment later, Al got his wish.

"Albus!" Astoria chimed, putting her arms around him, though much less possessively than she had Scorpius. "It was so good of you to come!"

"It was good of you to invite me, Mrs. Malfoy," Al replied politely, although he was not sure that she had.

"Astoria, please, call me Astoria," She corrected Al good-naturedly. "Mrs. Malfoy is my mother-in-law!"

"Er, sorry, Astoria," Al muttered, feeling a little awkward.

"Oh, not at all dear, not at all," She spoke so cheerfully; it sounded as if nothing could ruin her good mood. "Now, Scorpius, dear, have you seen your father yet?"

Scorpius's face went stony. Al had been wondering when their apprehensive sense of calm would be destroyed.

"No," Was Scorpius's short reply.

"Now, Scorpius, don't look so alarmed." Astoria tried to reassure her son. "He's been waiting for you." If she had meant this to have a soothing effect, she had failed miserably.

_"Waiting for him? What did that mean? Waiting for him for what? Why?"_

_"Waiting for me? Why would he be waiting for me? What does he want with me that would require him to wait around?"  
_  
Al and Scorpius's minds went through similar patterns of analyzing, then over-analyzing Astoria's last comment. In truth, it had been totally benign.

"And where exactly is he waiting, mother?" Scorpius asked after a pause.

"He's in the drawing room with a few colleagues, dear. Go in and see him." Astoria didn't seem to grasp the significance of her simple suggestion.

_"The drawing room," _Al repeated to himself. He had heard stories from his father about the drawing room, in particular, of Malfoy Manor that he tried not to recall at the moment. In fact, as a general rule, he tried never to recall the stories his father had told him, in his youth, about the dark history of the home in which his beloved Scorpius had grown up. Scorpius had grown up here. It seemed so very strange to Al. That was Scorpius's house-elf that had greeted them at the door, there was a portrait of Scorpius as a small child in the entrance hall, that marble staircase lead upstairs to Scorpius's old bedroom. Every time Al tried to imagine it, he couldn't quite wrap his head around it, so he decided to quit trying altogether.

Scorpius and Al walked back down the entrance hall, toward the door to the drawing room, which stood slightly ajar. What point was there in postponing the inevitable? Scorpius gave Al a sidelong glance as he pushed the door before them fully open. And then, there he was, standing alarmingly close to them on their right. Draco Malfoy, emotionally unavailable father extraordinaire, the incarnation of all of Scorpius's "daddy issues" in the flesh.

Draco turned to see who had just entered the room, and Al found himself taken aback to be looking into the face of someone who so resembled his Scorpius. Al didn't know whether he had ever seen Scorpius's father this close before. Whenever he had visited Malfoy Manor in the past, he had taken care to keep as much space between himself and Draco as possible. But now, from where he stood, he could understand how someone unfamiliar with the nuances of Scorpius's handsome face would find him strikingly similar to his father. Draco had, undeniably, passed down his grey eyes, platinum hair, and nearly every other physical feature to Scorpius, it was true, but, after staring at Draco for only split-second, Al knew something was off about Draco's face that made his appearance so detestable, while Scorpius's was so irresistible. It was not only the fact that Draco was the same age as Al's father, either (although that probably didn't help). No, it was something more than the fact that Draco was showing signs of his middle age.

Where Scorpius's grey eyes were warm, rare, and captivating, Draco's were cold and almost creepy in their colourlessness. The high cheekbones and angular facial features that made Scorpius look sophisticated looked severe and rat-like on Draco. The smile that was capable of making Al's stomach somersault was, of course, totally absent from Draco's face. After making all of these quick observations, Al concluded that it was probably Draco's sour persona being projected outwards that made him appear so different from the son whose features he had genetically monopolized. Yes, his sweet, nurturing, selfless, and (not to mention) devastatingly attractive Scorpius really had little in common with his father, truth be told, physically or otherwise. Al also took a moment to thank the powers that be for the fact that male pattern baldness skips a generation.

As Al looked down from Mr. Malfoy's face, and Scorpius looked up from the floor, their eyes met in the middle to fix on Draco's outfit. He was wearing the most ridiculous set of dress robes imaginable: iridescent silver, with gold trim, and a gold bow tie underneath. Scorpius and Al caught each others eye for a split second, the corners of their lips twitching, before they had to look away from one another to keep from bursting out in derisive laughter.

_"Don we now our gay apparel, indeed,"_ Al couldn't stop himself from thinking.

"Good evening, Scorpius...and Potter." Draco's voice was smug as he extended his hand to his son. Scorpius took it, but the handshake was over in less than a second. Draco did not extend his hand to Al, but looked him quickly up and down before sneering noticeably. "Can your paramour here no longer bear to be without you for one evening, Scorpius?" Draco hissed.

"Hardly, Father. I had to convince my _boyfriend_ to accompany me tonight, actually."

_"Did Scorpius really just say that? Was this really happening? Did Draco just call him Scorpius's _paramour_?" _Al's mind reeled. This was bad.

"And I can see my father's gold has gone to properly outfitting him, too," Draco continued, staring down at the expensive leather dress shoes that Al's _mother_ had purchased for him before Teddy and Victorie's wedding.

"Well Father, I believe we're done here. Enjoy the rest of your evening..." Scorpius pulled Al out of the drawing room by the hand and snapped the door shut behind them without a backward glance. "...you pathetic, miserable _fucker_!" Scorpius finished his sentence when they were standing out in the entrance hall together once more, kicking the baseboard for emphasis. He looked as furious as Al had ever seen him.

Al, for his part, was not only angry, but also felt the sting of being so unjustly humiliated. He felt tears forming behind his eyes, but blinked them away before Scorpius could see. Al knew that if he let Scorpius see him cry, Scorpius _would _march straight back into the drawing room and smother Draco with a pillow, just as he had threatened. And, even though Draco would have deserved this, Al didn't fancy the idea of Scorpius going to Azkaban for murder.

It was painfully obvious, at this point, that Draco had only invited his son home for Christmas because his wife had forced his hand, yet again. In any case, Draco certainly had bore no intention of burying the hatchet tonight. This knowledge made Al's heart ache for Scorpius, and he suddenly felt very grateful that his own father, though annoyingly famous, embarrassing, clueless, and over-protective at times, at least cared enough for him to accept him unconditionally, take pride in his accomplishments, and want him in his life. It was true, Al had no concept of what Scorpius must feel every time his father rejected him, shamed him, or otherwise let him know his displeasure with the person he had become.

"Can we go now?" Al asked timidly.

"No," Scorpius replied, his voice almost violent with rage. "I promised you that if my father was rude to you I would ruin his party and his reputation. Well, my love, he is about to be royally put in his place. Come on, Al, let's go have some fun." Scorpius had a mad glint in his eye as he dragged Al by the elbow back into the room where the food was laid out. This was about to get interesting.

Scorpius summoned Tippy by calling out her name. A second later, with a _crack_, she was beside them.

"Yes, Scorpius?" Tippy asked, curtsying.

"Tippy, can you attend to something for me tonight?" Scorpius asked the elf, kneeling down once more to address her at her level.

"Of course Tippy can. Anything Scorpius will be requiring."

"Wonderful! I would like you to see to it that my mother and Aunt Daphne are well looked after tonight. Not only that though, Tippy, but see that they are distracted. Keep them away from Master Malfoy and myself as much as you possibly can. Don't tell anyone what you're up to, either. Understand?" Scorpius spoke concisely.

This request did not sit well with Al, but he found himself so angry with Mr. Malfoy, that he didn't quite care what hijinks his boyfriend had up his sleeve.

"Of course, Scorpius, Tippy will see to this at once."

Scorpius nodded at the elf's words, and with that, she disappeared again with a _crack_.

By this time, they noticed, several house-elves in miniature tuxedos were walking about offering people champagne. These were free elves that had evidently been hired on for the occasion. Scorpius approached one of them presently.

"Hello there!" He said, as the wizened little elf bowed. "My father, Draco Malfoy, is the man who hired you and your colleagues tonight. He has sent me to deliver a message, and would like for you to please pass it on to the rest of your co-workers, if you would be so kind. Firstly, he would like four bottles of champagne to be given directly to me as soon as possible, and secondly, after they are delivered, you are all free to go. You will still be compensated the agreed upon amount for your services tonight, plus a thirty per cent increase in wages, as well, for any inconvenience this sudden change of plans may have caused. He also said to thank you very much for all of your hard work." Scorpius said this all in his glossiest, most professional voice.

The house-elf studied Scorpius's face curiously for a moment, but then nodded without questioning him. He then set off in the direction of the kitchen to fetch Scorpius's champagne. Behind Scorpius, Al was gaping, open mouthed and wide-eyed, at his boyfriend.

"And that, my pet, is how the Cauldron Cake crumbles," Scorpius said triumphantly, turning to face Al, a wicked smirk playing at his lips. Al couldn't have stopped himself from grinning if he had wanted to.

No more than five minutes later, the house-elf Scorpius had placed his order with was back with the champagne, all four bottles of it. Scorpius tipped him fifteen Galleons (which the elf attempted to refuse, but Scorpius had insisted) and sent him on his way. He then uncorked the champagne with his wand.

"Goodbye, inhibitions!" Scorpius declared, bringing the bottle to his lips and gulping its contents down unceremoniously.

"Hey, hey! Didn't anyone ever teach you how to share?" Al asked elbowing Scorpius and attempting to take the bottle from him. He finally handed it off after somehow managing to chug down a fourth of it without so much as a grimace.

"As a matter of fact...no," Scorpius replied honestly.

"Oh right, silly me. I must have forgotten who I was speaking to," Al quipped.

Scorpius snickered.

For the next twenty minutes or so, Al and Scorpius sat on the floor beside the towering Christmas tree and finished the first bottle together, chatting more and more animatedly, and becoming more and more touchy-feely as the bottle was drained. It was everything Scorpius could do to resist pouncing on Al and snogging him right there in front of the entire International Magical Trading Standards Body (which his father was the head of), but the small portion of his reasoning brain that was still functioning told him that this might be taking things a bit far. Therefore, instead, after he drained the last drop of champagne from the bottle, he sprang to his feet. Al followed suit, and together they made a beeline for the food tables. A queue had now formed around the hors d'oeuvres, into which Scorpius abruptly cut.

"Excuse me! Make way! I'm a Malfoy, so I'm entitled to be rude to undeserving people!" Scorpius said this loud enough for his father, who was now stationed across the room schmoozing other Ministry head's of departments, to hear him, making him look over and send a warning glare in his son's direction. Scorpius merely smiled and waved to him in a polite fashion, as though everything was fine. Al laughed openly at this as he elbowed an ostentatiously dressed witch out of his way to get in line behind Scorpius.

"Excuse me! And just who do you think you are?" The witch snapped at him, obviously offended by his blatant lack of manners.

"I," Al drew himself up to his full height, "am the _Chosen One's_ son. So, I suggest you step aside and allow me to get some caviar now!" The witch huffed and stormed out of line.

Al half wondered what had gotten into him. Oh, right, half a bottle of hastily consumed bubbly. He didn't even care what anyone thought anymore. Fuck this party and everyone who had the nerve to attend it. Scorpius obviously felt the same way up ahead of him in line, as he was now pretending to sneeze, cough, and otherwise splutter all over several trays of delicacies, all the while shoveling calamari into his mouth with his hand. He then seized the whole platter of shrimp and made off with it, dragging Al by the wrist behind him.

Scorpius led them up the marble staircase and down a hallway that had very few people in it. As soon as they had stopped sprinting, they dissolved into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, bracing against each other for support.

"That. Was. Brilliant." Scorpius said, trying to catch his breath. "I thought I was going to lose it when you said 'I'm the Chosen One's son'!"

"Oh, Merlin's pants! ...And when you started sneezing..." Al recalled, still grinning from ear to ear.

In an instant, and without warning, Scorpius had pushed Al up against the wall behind them and was snogging him full on the mouth. Al's stomach back-flipped, and his fingers found their way up into Scorpius's hair. Then, just as quickly as Scorpius had descended on Al, he pulled back, smirking that evil smirk of his. Al groaned needfully and cursed under his breath.

"Now, now. Don't make a fuss. There'll be plenty more where that came from later. But for now, I've just had another idea. I need you to help me find Vince Goyle," Scorpius said, dismissing Al's objections to his sudden termination of their snogging.

They walked back down the marble stairway, swaying slightly as they went, and within moments were back in the main room where the majority of the partygoers were congregated. Wending their way through the crowd, standing on tiptoe to better survey the mass of people, Scorpius eventually spied Vince Goyle standing in the corner opposite the tree. He was being talked at avidly by a girl who, although not breathtakingly attractive, and somewhat unremarkable, appeared to be several rungs above him on the social ladder.

"Let's observe, shall we?" Scorpius asked his other half, gesturing toward the spot beneath the tree where they had been sitting earlier, and where their champagne was stashed.

The pair sat down, keeping their eyes on Vince. Scorpius uncorked their second bottle and took a swig from it, passing it to Al in turn. Five minutes elapsed. Scorpius filled Al in on his plot in a whisper, revealing more and more of his generations-old Slytherin nature as his explanation went on. Al smirked and nodded to indicate his understanding and approval when Scorpius had finished. Five more minutes passed. Then, finally, the girl Vince was with walked away from him in the direction of one of the numerous first-floor toilets.

"Alright, Al. Let's move in. This is for every time Vince ever called us poofs at Hogwarts." Scorpius led the way, moving expertly in the same direction Vince's (presumed) girlfriend had just gone. Sure enough, she was in line for the loo. Scorpius made to walk straight up to her, but Al caught his wrist.

"Wait!" Al hissed, employing his own Slytherin cunning. "We need to hold off for a bit...give Vince some time to act."

"Good call," Scorpius agreed, and they ducked into a nearby guest bedroom.

Thankfully, the line for the toilet was a bit long. Five minutes later, they emerged back into the hall, Scorpius's hair looking a little rumpled, and Al straightening his tie. The girl was just about to enter the toilet. Perfect. When she came out a couple of minutes later, Scorpius and Al waited for her to come near them, then they approached.

"Excuse me," Scorpius said, getting her attention. She turned toward them and stopped. "I'm Scorpius and this is my boyfriend, Al. We don't mean to intrude into your personal affairs, but that gentleman you were talking with in the other room, are you seeing him?" Scorpius asked, sounding innocently polite.

"Yes, actually. Why do you ask?" She sounded curious.

"Well, you see, after you left for the toilet," Al chimed in, "we saw him walk up behind this other young woman and grab her bum."

"I'm sorry, but we thought you should know," Scorpius told her in a somber tone.

"Uugh! Not again!" The woman shrieked, clenching her fists, her face set. "Thank you, gentlemen, for informing me!" She added to Scorpius and Al before she stormed off in the direction of Vince.

"_Again_…?" Scorpius and Al whispered conspiratorially in unison as they exchanged disbelieving, yet gleeful looks. They then walked as quickly as they could, without being obvious, back into the other room. They rounded the corner just in time to see Vince's girlfriend slap him across the face.

"That's for the last time!" She shrieked. She was making a huge scene. The whole room had turned to stare at her and Vince. "And this is for tonight!" She punched him hard below the belt, and then stormed into the entrance hall and out the front door without a backward glance.

Vince was doubled over in pain, looking supremely humiliated. Slowly, the room erupted into laughter. Scorpius and Al could not believe their good fortune. Eventually, the laughter died down, as people seemed to remember that they were pretentious tight-arses, who should not be behaving so childishly. Al and Scorpius slunk back over to the Christmas tree unnoticed, and polished off their second bottle of champagne. When they re-emerged, they were properly sloshed in a way they hadn't yet been.

"I am _rat arsed_, Alby!" Scorpius made to whisper to Al, but instead slurred loud enough for some stuffy looking middle-aged witches standing nearby to overhear, and shake their heads at.

"Yeah, don't ever call me 'Alby' again, alright Scorp?" Al said, though he was grinning absently.

"Don't ever call me 'Scorp' again."

"Deal." The two agreed in unison.

Just who should approach them at that very moment, but Scorpius's grandmother, Narcissa Malfoy? Al, acting on sheer drunken instinct, ran and hid behind a group of tall wizards who were conversing animatedly nearby. He could still hear and see Scorpius through the group, though.

"Scorpius, come and give your grandmother a hug," Narcissa said, though her voice had none of Astoria's warmth. Scorpius obliged a little too enthusiastically, hugging the elderly woman tightly around the middle.

What Scorpius said next, Al vowed to never let him forget as long as they both should live.

"Grandmother Cissy, I bet in your day, you were one fine piece of shagberry pie!"

Al burst into a raucous fit of the giggles from his hiding place, not caring who stared at him.

Narcissa paused for a moment, and Al wondered distantly if Scorpius was about be hexed. Instead, the way Narcissa replied was even more disquieting.

"You bet your pure-blooded arse, I was!"

Al wanted to die from a mixture of revulsion and hilarity.

"Now, Scorpius, give me a kiss goodnight. I am retiring for the evening. And lay off the champagne, dear boy." She presented her cheek to Scorpius, and he kissed it obediently. Then, mercifully, Narcissa retreated, ascending the stairs to her bedchamber.

Al emerged from behind the group of chattering wizards and staggered his was back to Scorpius's side, still laughing very hard.

"You liked that, did you?" Scorpius asked Al as he drew up next to him. "I'm finding that I have little to no control over what's coming out of my mouth at the moment, obviously, so, let's go talk to more people!"

Al was, in his inebriated state, more than game for this.

Scorpius and Al traipsed their way through the crowd again, rather aimlessly, looking for someone to drum up a drunken conversation with, someone to victimize. It soon became apparent that Vince would become their deserving target for the second time that night, as he was standing quite alone, sulking in the corner nearest to the couple. Scorpius nudged Al and pointed in his direction, walking towards him.

"Vince Goyle, it's been a long time!" Scorpius called to the broad-shouldered, gorilla-armed, unsightly man before them. Vince simply grunted in response, looking up. He had never possessed much wit.

"Tough break with your girl back there, Vince," Al added, drawing up next to Scorpius. He gently punched Vince on the arm, in a false display of brotherly condolence, a move he never would have dared attempt during their Hogwarts years, or sober, even in the present day, for that matter. Anyone brighter than Vince Goyle (that is to say, anyone brighter than a Flobberworm) would have been able to discern that Scorpius and Al were taking the piss. Vince, however, just glared, not knowing what to make of this sudden appearance of the two people he had enjoyed harassing most while in school.

"As they say though, Al, karma's a bitch," Scorpius added, his voice still conversational.

"Too right, Scorpius," Al replied, nodding.

Vince was looking angry now. Noticing this, Scorpius conceded, "But, I suppose you were right back in school, you know, Vince? I _am_ in love with Al, and I _was_ when you announced it to anyone who'd listen back at Hogwarts, too. And I suppose I _am_ a bit of a - what was it that Vince here liked to call me at every opportunity, Al...?" Scorpius prompted Al by gesturing with his hand.

"A camp little queer?" Al offered.

"Right, exactly! Although, I don't know that _camp_ was quite the right word, perhaps decent-looking, well dressed, or even just _clean_ would have been more fitting. I understand though, Vince, how those characteristics must have appeared quite camp compared to what you see in the mirror every day," Scorpius said, entering dangerous waters.

Vince's fists clenched by his sides. Surprisingly, it seemed that he had recognized Scorpius's last statement as an insult. Scorpius laughed a little upon noticing this. Al picked up the conversation in an effort to keep Vince distracted, not wanting to have to attempt to mend Scorpius's nose in his drunken state.

"Really Vince, we just wanted to come over here to thank you for outing us to the entire school back in seventh year," Al improvised. "You saved me the trouble of having to tell every member of my family individually at my own discretion, and we got to learn who our true friends were in the bargain. You were such a big help. It was unfortunate that you caught us at the particular moment you did, and that you felt the need to divulge every rich detail to the majority of the student body, perhaps, but you win some, you lose some, I suppose." Al grinned wickedly.

"However," Scorpius interjected, "it is very unfortunate, Al, that Vince is probably still under the assumption that we were the only ones observed in the locker rooms in a state of undress. I don't believe we ever got a chance to tell him that the week before he walked in on us, you and I, most accidentally, saw him showering after Quidditch practice. Remember what a laugh we had at his expense, Al?" Scorpius asked, turning to look at Al now.

"Like I could forget, Scorpius?" Al agreed.

The tone in which they were talking, like they were merely carrying on an idle conversation over what to fix for dinner, seemed to be working to further aggravate Vince.

"And you know, Al, I still can't quite rid myself of the suspicion that Vince felt the need to insult our masculinity all those years in an effort to compensate for something...something about three inches in length and spindly as an underfed Bowtruckle." Scorpius had finally pushed Vince too far, which had been his intention, of course.

Al noticed Vince withdrawing his wand from his robes, and upon seeing this, retreated back into the thick crowd and out of harm's way, bidding Vince a cheery farewell as he went, dragging Scorpius out of the line of fire behind him.

"Well played, my dear," Al complimented Scorpius.

"Likewise," Scorpius replied.

The two attempted a high-five, but they missed and nearly clobbered one another in the face. This caused them to laugh rather thickly.

"Probably shouldn't try that when we're seeing double," Al assessed as Scorpius continued his laughter.

Most unfortunately, their flight from Vince's angry and unpredictable wand had brought them relatively near to Draco again. They were within earshot, at least. Then, quite without warning, a group of Ministry employees, including two department heads, an International Confederation of Wizards member, and three Wizengamot advisors, approached them. The International Confederation of Wizard's member shook Scorpius's hand.

"You must be Draco's son?" He asked Scorpius benevolently. "You resemble him."

Draco's ears seemed to perk up where he stood near them, talking to a member of the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee.

"Indeed," Scorpius replied agreeably, wearing the smirk Al knew without a doubt meant trouble. This was exactly the opportunity to damage his father's reputation Scorpius had been waiting for all night.

"Scorpius Malfoy, I think?" One of the department heads asked, now taking Scorpius's hand in turn. Scorpius nodded. "And what is it that you do, Scorpius? I know I can't recall ever seeing you at the Ministry."

"No, no," Scorpius agreed. "The Ministry never held much appeal for me. I'm a Healer in the Janus Thickey ward at St. Mungo's. I specialize in treating curse victims, though I tend to all of the inpatients on the fourth floor. I'm particularly interested in studying long-term care of Cruciatus victims, and developing new ways in which to better their mental state utilizing various innovative potion therapies. In fact, St. Mungo's League of Mind Healers has even taken an interest in funding some of my independent potioneering research. I won't go into detail, though, in order to avoid sounding like I'm intellectually masturbating," Scorpius finished his statement, feigning as though he had said nothing odd.

Al had to squeeze his eyes shut and screw up his face in order to keep himself from exploding with laughter. The Ministry members surrounding Scorpius and Al all looked at one another in bewilderment with their eyebrows raised. Then, finally, one of them noticed Al and broke the awkward silence that had followed Scorpius's most peculiar comment.

"And who might this be?" One of the Wizengamot advisors asked Scorpius, gesturing towards Al.

How this person worked on the same floor at the Ministry as his father and yet didn't recognize him was a mystery to Al, but a welcome mystery, all the same. Perhaps this wizard was legally blind, the lenses in his spectacles did look rather thick.

"This," Scorpius replied, "is my..." he paused to glance at his father, who was wearing a look that implied a dire warning, "..._best friend_…" Draco unmistakable let out a sigh of relief, "…Ben," Scorpius added, causing Draco to go tense again, and Al to look quizzically in Scorpius's direction, "Ben Dover," Scorpius finished, a thinly veiled look of self-satisfaction on his face.

Al stood looking nonplussed for a moment as he fought not to go red, but then recovered.

"That's right...I'm Ben...but you all can call me Al."

"Al?" The Wizengamot member asked, sounding as confused as everyone else looked.

"Yeah, Al is my, er, middle name. That's right, Benjamin Alfred Dover," Al ventured.

"That's odd, because you look an awful lot like Harry Po -" The other Wizengamot member was not allowed to finish his incriminating sentence, however.

"- It's been lovely chatting, but I need the toilet!" Scorpius interrupted, and dragged Al away in a half-sprint toward the staircase.

Al caught sight of Scorpius's father's irate face as they hurried past him. Apparently, Scorpius's sexual innuendos to the Ministry personnel had been ill received by Draco. Scorpius would be thrilled.

Scorpius stumbled over the top stair as he pointed his wand backwards over his head and summoned one of their two remaining champagne bottles, which flew across the room below obtrusively, narrowly avoiding a couple of taller partygoer's heads. Scorpius caught it when it reached them and uncorked it without pause, offering it to Al after he had taken the first drink. Al refused it, ignoring his impaired better judgment, which was telling him to banish the bottle out of Scorpius's hand that very instant. Thankfully, though, Scorpius was distracted from further binging by his bladder.

"I wasn't lying, Al. I really do need to have a pee," Scorpius said, as he turned and zigzagged his way down the hall before them, knocking into the walls periodically as he went, Al in pursuit.

What they found, however, were impossibly long lines for every toilet they came upon, which amounted to seven, in all. Scorpius was looking desperate by the time they had scoped out the last second-floor loo, and found it's line just as long as the rest.

"Sod it," He concluded, pulling Al into his parent's master suite.

This room was far too nice to be a bedroom, Al thought distractedly, as he took in the marble bath sunk into the floor in one corner, the immense fireplace opposite the ornate mahogany sleigh bed, the balcony...which Scorpius was peeing off of. As Al got closer to Scorpius and stepped out onto the balcony himself, he could see that Scorpius had urinated their initials into the snow below.

"Oh, your father is just going to _love_ seeing that in the morning," Al stated, letting out a snigger and walking back into the master bedroom, out of the cold.

"Won't he just?" Scorpius sounded positively delighted.

Scorpius then staggered back into his parent's room, slamming the balcony doors behind him loudly. When he reached the bed, which Al was standing next to, he fell backward half-onto it, dragging Al down on top of him by his tie. Al couldn't tell whether this had been intentional or accidental, but he wasn't going to complain either way. They were snogging frantically within seconds. Scorpius undid Al's tie altogether, and made short work of the first few buttons of the dress shirt he was wearing underneath his robes. Al, knowing Scorpius would have him starkers in the middle of Draco and Astoria's bedroom in mere moments if he didn't act fast, forced Scorpius over onto his stomach, pressing him into the bed as he positioned one of his legs in between Scorpius's, pinning him down to the mattress from behind with his pelvis. Al trailed open-mouthed kisses down Scorpius's neck as his right hand expertly found the button of Scorpius's trousers and undid it, unzipping his flies immediately thereafter. Scorpius moaned erotically, rocking his hips forward eagerly to press into Al's hand.

"Who are you, and what have you done with my innocent boyfriend?" Scorpius breathed, excitement and lust all over his voice.

Innocent his arse. Al was going to do it. He was going to take Scorpius right here, right in the middle of his parent's bed. That would teach Draco to insult him, he thought, although, truth be told, vengeance had little to do with the act he intended to perform. In his uninhibited state, Al had even forgotten to feel guilt over how disrespectful and purely _wrong _this was. That is, until the door to the hallway behind them was flung open. Draco stood framed in the doorway, wand raised, and both Al's and Scorpius's heads snapped instinctively to look at him. Al jumped off of Scorpius as though he had been electrocuted, but whipped his wand out of his robes nonetheless.

"Put your wand away, Potter," Draco hissed, his voice pure venom.

Al didn't obey him, however, until Draco had lowered his own wand.

"And Scorpius, kindly keep yours in your pants, and do up your trousers," Draco instructed, sounding decidedly not amused, despite his tasteless innuendo.

Scorpius obeyed him but did not look in his father's direction as he zipped his flies and re-buttoned his trousers. Al wanted to crawl into a hole and die if only from the look of sheer mortification on Scorpius's face, and nothing else. Draco then crossed the room in three long strides and grabbed up Scorpius and Al each by an arm roughly. The next second, Draco had Disapparated the three of them.


	6. The Things We Do for Love

**Chapter Six: The Things We Do for Love**

The threesome materialized in the entryway to Al's parent's house. If he hadn't already been so, Al was now totally convinced that he would forever despise Draco Malfoy. Al's dad came running into the entryway, wand held aloft, and Al's mum was following close behind. Harry lowered his wand when he saw who had just Apparated directly into his home.

"Malfoy, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Harry asked sounding irked.

"Hm, perhaps to the fact that I have just discovered your son molesting my son in the middle of _my_ bed," Draco spat, thrusting Al and Scorpius away from him, towards Harry, who caught Scorpius by the arm just before he toppled over.

Harry looked vaguely surprised by Draco's behaviour, or perhaps his surprise was because of the news Draco had just shared. Al preferred to assume it was the former. Behind Harry, Al's mum wore a look that was close to amusement.

"Well, that's fitting, isn't it, Malfoy, seeing as Albus would be the, er, _Chaser_ in the relationship?" Harry antagonized Draco, who now looked angrier than ever for some stupid reason.

Al wondered in disbelief if his and Scorpius's fathers were indeed presently arguing over which one of them bottomed, and doing so (in his father's case) using very weak Quidditch references. Al could think of about a hundred better things the two men could be fighting over at the moment.

"Actually..." Scorpius made to chime in, defending himself, but Al physically covered his boyfriend's mouth with his hand, fearing what gory details of their sex life Scorpius would spout off in the drunken heat of the moment. Everyone ignored Scorpius though, thankfully, and Al eventually reckoned it was safe to drop his hand.

Draco argued back with Harry, "What exactly are you implying, Potter?"

"Oh shut up, the pair of you!" Ginny interjected, "As if it matters! ...And as if any of us really want to think about it! There are more important issues at hand. I, for one, would like to know why it is, Draco, that upon discovering our sons in a compromising situation, you automatically bring them here," Al's mother asked, now sounding crossly assertive. "You are aware, I trust, that they have their own flat?"

Draco scowled heavily upon hearing Al's mum's last question. He looked as though the very thought of it made him nauseous.

"My wife poses a fair question, Malfoy. And I would like to know why is it that I seem to _still_ find myself dealing with the outcome of your many shortcomings." Al's father asked this question angrily, and Al could only guess that he was somehow referring to their days as enemies during their school years.

"The outcome of my shortcomings, Potter?" Draco repeated, ignoring Ginny's question, his voice now a deadly whisper.

"Well, clearly your only son has little or no respect for you. He speaks of you only with disappointment and shame, and he gives no indication that he can stand to be around you without drinking heavily beforehand, if he can stand it at all. What does any of that say about your parenting skills, Malfoy?" Harry interrogated Draco.

"So, Potter, you find my son as displeasing as I do, do you?"

How Draco got that out of his father's statement, Al simply couldn't figure out.

"Quite the contrary," Harry retorted. "Despite my initial misgivings, I find Scorpius to be a completely likable young man. He is polite, sincere, and respectful. He worked hard to achieve a career that indicates an empathy for the human condition that few people possess. And, most importantly, he treats my son well and makes him very happy. And, although I'm sure you had little to do with it, Astoria raised him well, well enough for him to escape most of the ill effects he should have suffered from having you as a father. You should be proud of Scorpius, Draco." Harry ended his tirade, and the five people in the entryway fell into complete silence.

Tears of gratitude were welling in Al's eyes. He knew in that moment how truly lucky he was to have the father he did. More than anything, though, Al was intensely satisfied that Scorpius finally got to hear, from someone who's acceptance he sought even more than that of his own father, that he was deserving of praise. Al hoped that if Scorpius remembered nothing else of this night, he did remember his dad's defense and admiration of his character. Scorpius, still standing in Harry's grip to keep him upright, looked, in a way Al had never seen before, truly proud of himself. It made Al sad to think how seldom Scorpius was given permission to feel this way. Then, as per usual, Draco promptly trampled on his son's emotions.

"Scorpius is a traitor to his surname," was all Draco could come up with. Harry looked at him in sheer disgust.

"Good!" Scorpius shouted breaking out of Harry's grip, and closing the space between himself and his father. "I'm tired of your fucking name dragging me down! You make me sick!"

No sooner did Scorpius have the words out of his mouth, than it became apparent that he had meant them literally. Scorpius vomited champagne and calamari all over the front of Draco's ridiculous robes. Draco just stood there, looking stunned and revolted, as Scorpius staggered away from him and leaned against the wall next to Al, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

Al's mum was the first to break the shocked silence. She laughed in what Al would have considered a cruel fashion, had the source of her laughter not so deserved it.

"Get out of our house, Malfoy," Ginny chided.

And, with one last apoplectic backward glance, Draco Disapparated.

Al moved to pick up Scorpius by the arms in the silence that followed Draco's departure. Scorpius was now sitting on the floor with his knees hugged tight to his chest, having slid down the wall. His hands mostly obscured his face, but Al could see the silent tears falling down his cheeks. Scorpius rarely cried. In fact, the last time Al could recall observing his boyfriend cry had been the night Scorpius had left Malfoy Manor to come and live with him. Al knew the alcohol in Scorpius's bloodstream was working to unhinge his normally carefully preordained emotions, but Al also knew that this was probably a good thing. Scorpius bottled up his feelings far too much.

Al's father walked over to Al and attempted to help him lift Scorpius from the floor, but Al shook his head in his dad's direction tellingly. Al knew how humiliated Scorpius would be regarding tonight's events no matter what, but he didn't want to compound this fact by allowing his father to see Scorpius crying, knowing how much, if by some miracle Scorpius remembered it, that would embarrass him. Harry had the tact to turn away and usher his wife back into the sitting room, where they had been drinking mugs of eggnog before they had been interrupted.

Scorpius peered up at Al through his fingers, grey eyes swimming, only after he had sensed Harry and Ginny's exit from the foyer.

"Come on," Al whispered softly, smoothing Scorpius's disheveled hair.

Al took Scorpius's arm once again, and this time Scorpius allowed himself to be dragged up from his sitting position on the floor. He swayed uncontrollably when he attempted to stand without the aid of the wall behind him. Consequently, he clung to Al's middle, wrapping both arms around him, and shifted the vast majority of his weight onto Al's back. Getting up the stairs to his old bedroom on the second floor was almost more than Al could physically manage. Scorpius was dead weight on him, his feet barely clearing each stair. When Al finally reached his childhood room (the door was open, thank Merlin), his knees promptly buckled. He let Scorpius fall to the floor with a _thud_. Scorpius landed on the hardwood in a prone position, and immediately fell asleep (well, passed out, rather) right where he had fallen. Al got back to his feet, looking down at his rather pathetic boyfriend apologetically. He didn't have long to feel sorry, though, as his younger sister joined him in the room momentarily.

"Lily, what are you doing here?" Al asked sounding almost relieved at her appearance.

"I got a little tipsy at the party tonight, and didn't dare Apparate back to my flat," She stated simply, "and you know how I feel about flooing," She added.

Lily had always possessed a strong aversion to flooing as a form of transportation. It made her feel claustrophobic and ill. Al knew her story was a front, though. One of Al's parents could have easily Side-Alonged her back to her flat, just as they had presumably done to get her back here. Lily, being the youngest, still seemed reluctant to let go of the way their family Christmases used to be, all of them waking up on Christmas morning and racing downstairs to open their presents, then sipping hot cocoa in their newly unwrapped Weasley jumpers before venturing outside for a snowball fight. Because of this, she had found reasons to stay at their parent's house every Christmas Eve since she had moved out.

"Is Scorpius...alive?" Lily asked, sounding genuinely concerned, as she looked down at his splayed figure.

"I expect," Al replied darkly.

"What the hell happened tonight, Al?" Lily went on, sounding even more concerned. "I heard shouting from downstairs."

"Yes, well, that would have been...everyone but me. Meaning dad, mum, Scorpius's father, and Scorpius himself," Al explained.

"Draco Malfoy was here?" Lily raised her eyebrows in alarmed surprise.

"Yes, he was. Honestly though, Lily, it's a long and painful story and I don't know that I'm up to telling it at the moment." Al sounded almost as tired as he felt.

"I understand, Al." Lily looked at her brother kindly and placed a hand on his forearm.

"Thanks, Lil. Now, I have to go back to our flat at some point tonight to feed Persephone. And I should probably get a change of clothes for Scorpius and myself..." Al trailed off.

Persephone was the black, grey, and white speckled Kneazle kitten Al and Scorpius had acquired some three and a half months ago.

"Do you need me to Side-Along you, Al?" Lily apparently was in a most helpful mood, and Al greatly appreciated it. "You don't really look like you're in too fit a state to be Apparating."

"Lily, you're the best." Al smiled weakly at her. "I promise I'll be quick. Scorpius, I'll be right back, just don't move," Al added very unnecessarily, looking down at his unconscious boyfriend on the floor. Al may as well have been addressing the floor itself.

"Don't worry, Al. I don't think he's going to be moving until after teatime tomorrow." Lily grinned. Al tried to grin back, but only managed a grimace, taking Lily's outstretched arm.

Moments later, the siblings were in Al and Scorpius's flat. Upon stumbling to right himself after their Apparition, Al felt acutely ill. He darted to the toilet without explanation and was violently sick. Thankfully Al, unlike Scorpius, chose the proper location to toss up his champagne and Christmas dinner. After he finally straightened up and rinsed his mouth out in the sink, Lily met him in the hallway. His little sister offered him a glass of cool water and two slices of bread. Al took them from her gratefully.

"I know it's a rather, well, Muggle solution, but it does take the edge off," Lily told Al kindly as he sipped the water slowly.

"Where's Persephone?" Al asked, looking around for her.

"Eating in the kitchen," Lily replied. "I've already fed her. Now come on, let's go get clothes for you and Scorpius."

Al could only look at Lily in a way that he hoped expressed his gratitude. He then followed her to his and Scorpius's bedroom. Al took off his dress robes, leaving them in a crumpled heap on the floor (a habit of his that drove Scorpius mental), and replaced them with pyjama trousers and an ancient Holyhead Harpies T-shirt. He then grabbed the last two clean pairs of denim trousers out of their wardrobe. He scrutinized them for a moment before deciphering that they were both Scorpius's. It didn't really matter; he would just have to cuff them up. Al then leafed through several pairs of lime green Healer's robes bearing the embroidered names Hr. Malfoy and Hr. Potter, before finding two clean shirts.

"Where are Scorpius's pyjamas?" Lily asked.

"Just dig through the basket," Al instructed her. They needed to do laundry. Lily extricated a decently clean pair of pyjama trousers for Scorpius after a minute of digging.

"Don't worry about finding him a tee, Lily. He's got one on under his dress shirt."

Al knew full well that his desire to change Scorpius into pyjamas was to make himself feel better more than anything. Scorpius could sleep through the night wearing his dress robes and shoes and not mind, in his current state, but it would put Al at ease to make sure his boyfriend was as comfortable as possible.

"Alright then, is that it?" Lily asked, folding Scorpius's pyjama trousers.

"Nearly. I just need to grab us both fresh pants and socks, and Scorpius some casual shoes...Oh, and our toothbrushes," Al responded.

"I'll go collect your toothbrushes. Meet me down the hall." Lily left Al to rummage through a heap of clean, albeit unfolded laundry in the corner.

Less than ten minutes later, Lily and Al had Apparated back to Scorpius's side. Scorpius hadn't moved, for his part, just as Al had instructed. Al divested himself of their clean clothing, setting it on the desk in the corner, and peered down at Scorpius.

"Do you think you could help me with him, Lily?" Al asked, turning his gaze to his sister who was standing on the opposite side of the room, also staring down at the blond on the floor with a pitying expression.

"What, change his clothes? Well, as long as you're sure he's got pants on." She smirked and knelt down next to Scorpius's feet, making to remove his shoes.

"Oh, shut up, Lily...Like you'd be complaining if he hasn't." Al rolled his eyes.

"Don't be gross, Albus. Scorpius is like my third brother," Lily retorted. "...My irresistibly handsome, smart, funny, kind, and rich third brother," She continued, taking the Mickey out of Al, who glared up at her from his place on the floor next to Scorpius's head.

"I don't need you reminding me what a good thing I've got going, alright Lily? Trust me, I know." A smirk was tugging at the corner of Al's lips as he spoke, in spite of himself.

"You know I'm only joking." Lily grinned. "Well, I mean, Scorpius_ is_ good looking, smart, funny, kind, and disgustingly wealthy, but he is also truly like another brother to me, Al. And besides, all familial attachment aside, Scorpius would be a bit too...camp, for my taste, anyway."

"Scorpius is not _camp_." Al defended Scorpius against Lily's assessment in an exasperated tone.

"Well, I suppose not to the extent that, say, _you_ are," She teased.

"Oh, just quit while you're ahead, will you?" Al asked the still grinning redhead opposite him. "And besides, I doubt you'd be calling Scorpius camp had we a Time-Turner to take us back to your second year, when you couldn't stop ogling him from the Gryffindor table...not that I blame you, mind." Al added the last statement as an afterthought.

"Yeah, well, me and half the other girls in my year," Lily conceded. "I, unlike many of the others, though, recognized the signs and gave up hope well before Scorpius started snogging my brother in empty classrooms."

Al just shook his head in response as he pulled Scorpius (who was like a ragdoll beneath him) free of his outer robe and tie.

"Blimey, it's a good thing we're not at James's flat," Said Lily, changing the subject. "Anyone who passes out with their shoes on there usually wakes up with a trouser snake drawn on their cheek, or one eyebrow shaved off." Lily couldn't help but giggle a little as she said this, removing Scorpius's shoes and socks. In James's flat, getting pissed enough to fall asleep with your shoes on was the signal for everyone still conscious to play wicked tricks on you.

"Merlin, don't remind me," Al said in a sarcastically somber voice, recalling how he had woken up in his older brother's kitchen on New Year's Day two years prior. He then repeated the words, "Trouser snake," under his breath, shaking his head again, his face breaking into the the first real grin Lily had seen since his arrival back in Godric's Hollow. Al's little sister was always good for a laugh at the best of times. Indeed, she was known in her family for her uncanny ability to cheer people up.

"Here, Al, switch me. I wouldn't want my removing Scorpius's trousers to fuel your nonsensical belief that I harbour unclean feelings for him." Lily smirked and slid across the wood floor to take up Al's spot unbuttoning Scorpius's dress shirt.

For the second time that night, Al unbuttoned and unzipped Scorpius's trousers, though this time he got to pull them all the way off. However, the effect was not even vaguely close to what it would have been back in Scorpius's parent's bedroom, had Draco not interrupted their fun. Al replaced Scorpius's trousers with his pyjamas as Lily finished peeling his dress shirt off of his torso.

"Help me lift him onto my bed?" Al asked, taking one of Scorpius's ankles into each of his hands and raising them slightly off the floor.

Lily nodded in consent and grabbed Scorpius under his shoulders. Together Al and Lily heaved Scorpius onto Al's bed, the mattress squeaking as they flopped him down. Al looked at Scorpius with devotion in his vivid eyes as he slipped a pillow under his head, and pulled an old and well-loved blanket over him, tucking it in underneath him gently. Lily looked on with a wistful smile as her brother proceeded to smooth a strand of white-blond hair out of Scorpius's eyes, and kiss him on the forehead. After a moment, Al turned to look at Lily again, his eyes only leaving Scorpius after his face was entirely turned toward his sister.

"Thank you, Lily, for all your help tonight. You really made me reconsider Obliviating myself." Al managed half a quiet laugh, his appreciation totally evident.

"Don't mention it, Al. What are pesky little sisters for, after all?" Lily smiled. "I wonder, though, can I ask you one thing about something I overheard dad saying earlier?" A wicked grin had replaced Lily's sweet smile now.

"What's that?" Al felt himself starting to succumb to dread.

"Just what the hell did Dad mean by you being the _Chaser_ in the relationship?" Lily giggled, and Al got the impression that she most certainly knew what their father had meant, in all of his cryptic insinuating glory.

"Really?" Al asked rhetorically in a condescending tone, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, _that_. Right. Dad could have been a bit more upfront, couldn't he?" She said, winking, pretending to cotton on. "...Which brings me to my next question..."

"I didn't approve a _next_ question."

"Are you_ really_ the top, Al? Because now, you see, I'm getting conflicting reports..." Lily grinned villainously.

"Scorpius been telling you tales, has he?" Al asked sardonically, thankful Lily couldn't see his blush in the dim light.

"I wouldn't know, would I?" Lily asked, attempting to sound innocent.

"Merlin's pants, Lily, for your information, we wrestle to see who gets to top nearly every time." Al gave in, deciding he couldn't evade Lily's prying questions, too exhausted to put up a good front.

"I see...Scorpius has been telling tales, then." Lily sounded mildly interested.

Al glared down at Scorpius where he lay on the bed behind him.

"Git," He said pointedly.

"Oh, come off it, Al. I was only taking the piss. Scorpius told me practically the same thing...only he claims that you always lose on purpose." She winked suggestively again.

Al blushed so hard at this that Lily probably _could_ see it, even through the dim. He chose not to answer Lily's implied question.

"So, any other intrusive questions you'd like to ask me, Lily? Care to know whether I spit or swallow?" Al asked with sharp sarcasm.

Lily just shrugged, a vaguely curious expression on her face.

"That was totally rhetorical, Lily Luna! I will not be answering it," Al said, totally incensed.

"Don't worry, Al, you don't have to… I already know," Lily squealed, dodging the pillow Al had just thrown at her head.

Al vowed to learn some type of spell that would render Scorpius eternally mute when in the presence of his sister.

"Why are you still in my bedroom?" Al asked Lily, glowering at her.

"Alright, alright. Goodnight and happy Christmas then, Alby." Al grimaced at her use of that truly awful nickname she sometimes snuck into conversation, but allowed her to kiss him on the cheek, nonetheless, and returned her hug. "I love you."

"Goodnight, Lils. I love you, too."

And, with that, Lily crossed Al's room and moved into the hallway, closing Al's door behind her.

Al pulled the blanket out from where he had tucked it in under Scorpius's slight frame and situated himself underneath it, snuggling up next to Scorpius as he did so. Scorpius's body was warm and his breathing even and soft. Despite how much Al loved the new king mattress they had in their new flat, he couldn't deny that it felt cosy, and familiar, and downright _lovely_ to be sharing a twin-sized bed with Scorpius again. Al encircled Scorpius in his arms and resisted the urge to squeeze him tightly. He nuzzled his face into Scorpius's neck and shifted one of his legs to lie on top of Scorpius's legs for good measure, their feet touching. Al wanted to totally cocoon Scorpius in his own limbs. He was feeling protective, and caring, and possessive, and just _so smitten_ with Scorpius as he lay all over him, detecting his faint almond scent and being tickled by his fine blond hair, that any feelings of anger or annoyance or shame over the events of that night seemed totally insignificant. Attending an awful party, getting caught in the act by Draco, and taking care of a passed out Scorpius really were quite inconsequential when Al considered that he would do _anything_ for Scorpius. And, the best part of it all was that Al knew Scorpius would likewise do anything for him. Al sighed feeling physically and emotionally drained, but somehow content and tranquil nonetheless. He pressed a light kiss into the side of Scorpius's neck. Scorpius squeaked a little as he sometimes did when he was in a particularly deep sleep, but did not stir. Al surrendered to his exhaustion at last, knowing he would wake holding Scorpius in exactly the same position tomorrow morning.


	7. A Very Potter Christmas

**Chapter Seven: A Very Potter Christmas**

Some eight hours later, Al was awoken by his mum's voice informing him through the door that breakfast was ready. Indeed, even in his half-awake state, he could smell the bacon cooking downstairs. There had never been a lack of food in the Potter household, as both of Al's parents were decent in the kitchen. Neither was as good as his grandmum, of course, but then, Al didn't suppose that any mortal was. Al mumbled incoherently to his mother in response, which was apparently satisfactory, as she moved on down the hall to go wake Lily.

For a few fleeting moments upon waking, Al was confused as to just why he was in his old bedroom in Godric's Hollow, sharing a pillow with Scorpius. Then, all too suddenly, the (more memorable) events of the previous night flooded his now fully conscious brain. Al shut his eyes tightly, screwing them up against the images that were now playing in his mind's eye, pressing his face into Scorpius's neck. Al groaned a little and lifted his head, pulling his now totally numb arm out from underneath Scorpius's shoulders, as his other hand searched the bedside cabinet for his glasses. When he had finally located them and pressed them clumsily onto his face, he opened his eyes to find that he had only a slight headache. Scorpius stirred next to him, rolling over onto his side and drawing his legs in close to his body, but he didn't wake up as far as Al could tell. Not two minutes later, Al's door opened and Lily came barreling into the room.

"Happy Christmas, Albus!" She told him for the umpteenth time, beaming, and grinning from ear to ear.

"Are you incapable of knocking?" Al asked rather sullenly.

"Well, you're not naked, so no harm, no foul," Lily quipped.

Al rolled his eyes but granted his sister a small smile nonetheless. Next to him, Scorpius stirred again, waking up this time.

"Uuggghhhmph." Scorpius sounded like he might be dying, groaning in distress even before he had opened his eyes or lifted his head.

Al placed a hand on Scorpius's side as Scorpius flipped over and moved his own hands to cover his face.

"Fuck." It was all he could manage.

After a moment in which both Lily and Al looked at him in expectant pity, he rubbed his eyes and opened them.

"Merlin, I need water," Scorpius croaked.

Al summoned a glass and muttered, "_Aguamenti,_" and then handed it to Scorpius, who drank it down in about five seconds. Upon handing the glass back to Al, Scorpius clutched his stomach and pulled a face. Apparently, chugging water had not been the wisest idea.

"What the hell happened to me last night? I feel like I've just fallen off my broomstick from about a hundred feet up...and why are we in your parent's house?" Scorpius asked, still lying on the bed in the foetal position.

"You got pissed," Al responded unhelpfully.

"Yeah, I surmised as much, considering the room's spinning..." Scorpius said sarcastically. He tried to lift his head, at this point, but lowered it back down immediately with a pathetic whine before he had raised it a foot off the pillow. "...And my head feels like it's about to implode," Scorpius continued, shielding his eyes from the sun with his hand. Seeing this, Al raised his wand to the blinds, which lowered and shut themselves swiftly.

"Thanks," Scorpius said quietly as Al leaned down to pull him up into a sitting position next to him. Scorpius leaned against Al, putting his head on his shoulder.

"Happy Christmas?" Lily said to Scorpius, but it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"I'll decide how happy it is once I've heard what I did last night," Scorpius muttered dubiously. Beside him, Al pulled a pained expression. He had known this was coming. "Al?" Scorpius prompted when Al had only returned his last statement with silence.

"Well, what do you remember, exactly?" Al tested the waters, dread and uncertainty lacing his voice.

"Well, I remember going to the manor and seeing Mother, and her being really embarrassingly happy to see me. Then I remember going to see Father in the drawing room, and him being a total arse to us...Then I think I talked to Tippy. I definitely remember dismissing all those hired elves, and drinking with you under the Christmas tree. Then it gets a little fuzzy. I remember something involving Vince Goyle, and I think maybe I talked to Grandmother at some point...and, yeah, I'm pretty sure that's all I've got." Scorpius finished, looking at Al questioningly.

Al took a deep breath. "Are you sure you really want to know, Scorpius?" He asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"Shite, is it that bad? ...Yes, you have to tell me, Al. What'd I do?"

"Well, to begin with, the story is actually pretty funny." Al began his story.

He took Scorpius through all the high points of the party they had set about ruining. Lily, unable to contain herself, had burst out laughing at several points, nearly crying with mirth when Al spoke the words "shagberry pie". Al himself had even had to suppress a grin upon recalling Scorpius's intellectual masturbation comment. Scorpius had the decency to hide his self-satisfied expression under a guise of embarrassment as Al told his tale. When Al got to the point where they had fled from the Ministry members, he paused.

"Now, this is where things start to go down hill," Al warned before continuing. "You really had to go pee, so we set about looking for a lavatory that didn't have a huge line outside of it, but when we got to the last one on the second floor and saw that it also had a long wait, you just ran into your parent's bedroom and ended up pissing our initials into the snow from off the side of their balcony."

Scorpius's eyes widened and he gave Al a bewildered look. He was no longer looking pleased with himself. Lily, however, was still valiantly fighting back giggles.

"Then," Al trudged on, taking a deep breath, "we started snogging on your parent's bed...and I undid your trousers..." Al was blushing furiously and avoiding the other two's eyes, pulling at a loose string in the warn duvet beneath him. "...and your father came in..." He mumbled.

"_What?_" Scorpius sounded suddenly panic-stricken.

"Yeah. He came into the room, and he had his wand out. He made some dirty remark and told you to zip up your trousers. Then he just walked over to us and Side-Alonged us both here." Al's voice was getting quieter and quieter; he was still looking determinedly down at the duvet. Scorpius took his head off Al's shoulder and put it in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. "Well, when we got here, my parents came running over to see who had just Apparated in, of course. Then our father's started bickering, then mum cut in. It turned ugly...My dad accused your dad of being a bad father, in a sort of roundabout way. Well, then your father just asks my dad if he finds you 'displeasing'..." Al made a quoting gesture with his fingers before he spoke the word "_displeasing_". "…But my dad defended you. He said you were a totally likeable young man and that your father should be proud of you...and that you make me happy." Al was whispering by now.

Scorpius had not removed his head from his hands. Lily was looking uncomfortable, staring at Al's knees.

"But then your father..." Al took a deep breath and forced himself to keep talking. "...said you were a traitor to your surname." Al's voice died momentarily in his throat.

Lily looked outraged at Al's words, and glanced up from her study of his knees for a split second to look at Scorpius. Scorpius didn't move or react whatsoever, though. He was unnaturally still on the bed next to Al, and Al knew without touching him that his body had tensed.

"Then, you sort of lost it." Al found his voice once more. "My dad had been holding you up, because you were really unsteady, but you broke away from him and walked up really close to your father. You shouted that you were tired of his name dragging you down, and that he made you sick...then you tossed up all over him."

"No. _No_. Al, please, _please_ tell me this is just some kind of really fucked up joke." Scorpius's head had shot up out of his hands, and he was looking at Al imploringly. Al just met Scorpius's eyes with a painfully sympathetic gaze. "Uuugh," Scorpius groaned again as he let himself fall back onto the mattress, throwing his arm over his eyes, realizing the worst.

"Then," Al soldiered on, "my mum sort of started laughing and told your father to get out of our house. So, your father just Disapparated, and my parents went back to drinking their eggnog together, I expect." Al purposefully left out the part about Scorpius crying. "Well, then I pretty much had to drag you up here, and you passed out on the floor straight away. Lily came in a second later and offered to Side-Along me back to our flat. We fed Persephone and picked up a change of clothes for us. When we got back we changed you into pyjamas –"

"I didn't see anything!" Lily interjected in a rather high-pitched tone.

"- and we lifted you up into bed, and Lily went back to her room, and I went to sleep," Al finished weakly.

Nobody spoke, or moved, or seemed to _breathe_ for quite some time.

"Fuck," Was all Scorpius could manage, yet again.

"Yeah," Al agreed, dejected.

"Wow," Lily concluded.

"Lily, Al! Breakfast has been ready for ten minutes now! Get down here! It's going cold! ...And wake up Scorpius, too. He'll need to get some food in him," Ginny yelled up the stairs, breaking their reverie.

The three looked at one another. Al and Scorpius stood up in unison, Scorpius clutching his head. They all trudged out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Harry was sitting in the kitchen reading _The_ _Prophet_ when the three of them entered. Ginny was divvying out bacon, eggs, toast, and potatoes onto five plates with her wand.

"Morning. Happy Christmas to all," Al's dad said cheerily, looking up from his paper. "Scorpius, how are you feeling?" He asked considerately upon noticing Scorpius massaging his temple with a pained look.

Al smiled at his dad, beaming.

"Honestly, like I've just been trampled by a Hippogriff," Scorpius said feebly, but he smiled appreciatively at Al's dad all the same.

"Gin, have we got anything for him in the potion cabinet?" Harry asked his wife.

"I expect. Here, Harry, you finish fixing the plates, and I'll go look." Al's mum bustled out of the kitchen.

Al's dad pointed his wand absently behind his back and the rest of the eggs flew onto the five plates. He then levitated the plates, having them come to rest in their respective places around the table.

"Happy Christmas, Daddy." Lily walked over to where Harry sat and hugged her father tightly before she took the seat next to Scorpius. Al sat down on Scorpius's other side.

Suddenly, there was a _pop_, and James materialized in the kitchen.

"James. We weren't expecting you until later," Harry said, looking up at his eldest son.

"Yeah, well, why stay at home when there's free food to be had?" James asked, as his father moved to make him a plate. Luckily, there had been left over food. Al's mum always seemed to prepare more food than necessary, which she always attributed to the fact that she had helped her mum cook for a family of nine growing up.

"Happy Christmas everyone," James said as he looked around the room.

Everyone seated at the table returned the sentiment.

"Merlin, Scorpius. You look like hell." James was nothing if not tactless.

"Ah, thank you, James," Scorpius replied derisively.

Al glared at his brother.

"Have fun at your party last night, you two?" James blundered on.

"In a manner of speaking," Scorpius replied.

"Well, what happened?" James pressed.

"Long story," Al snapped.

"Did you sleep here last night?" James asked, observing their pyjamas and generally disheveled state. He really couldn't take a hint.

"Yes. What is this, a bloody inquiry? Now shut it," Al barked across the table, having had about enough of his brother's dim-wittedness.

James raised an eyebrow, but finally let it drop.

Al's mum reentered the room, carrying with her a small glass containing some type of black potion, which she set in front of Scorpius's plate.

"Here you are, dear. Fair warning, this stuff tastes foul, but it'll help."

"Thank you so much, Mrs. Potter." Scorpius looked truly relieved. He swallowed the potion down in one gulp and made a disgusted face, but then looked pleased. "Brilliant, my headache's gone," He said to Al, who smiled back at him.

Al's mum had just noticed James in the room, and went over to hug and kiss him, wishing him a happy Christmas, before she sat down. Everyone tucked in to breakfast, which was delicious. Their conversation ran on pleasantly enough, but James kept throwing questioning glances at Al. That is, until Lily caught him at it and kicked him in the shin under the table. After breakfast, Al, Scorpius, and Lily excused themselves to go change clothes and freshen up, before migrating back downstairs to gather around the Christmas tree.

Exchanging gifts was fun, as always. Al's parents, particularly his father, always picked out excellent presents. As Al and his siblings had gotten older, their gifts from their parents had become slightly less extravagant than when they were younger, but they were still always thoughtful and appreciated.

From his parents, Al received a book titled _A _Her_story of the Harpies_ (which contained a few pictures of his mum during her Quidditch days), a new pair of trainers, and a pair of heated, guaranteed water-proof thermals ("For when you're on call at matches in the rain!" His mum had explained enthusiastically).

Lily gave Al and Scorpius a book called _Everything You Need to Know About Kneazles_, and a framed photograph of the three of them on the night they had gone out to celebrate Lily being promoted to junior editor.

James gave Al and Scorpius, Lily, and their parents each an autographed poster of himself in his Magpies uniform.

"Really pulled a Lockhart with that one, didn't you, son?" Harry smiled wryly. "I can't wait to hang it in my office, all the same."

Ginny and Scorpius laughed; being the only two people in the room that understood Harry's Lockhart reference. Scorpius saw Gilderoy Lockhart every day at work.

Next it was everyone's turn to open the gifts that Al's grandmum and granddad had sent home with his parents last night after the party. It was the time-honoured Weasley jumpers and homemade sweets that everyone opened up. This year, for the first time, however, Scorpius got a Weasley jumper, too. This caused him to smile uncontrollably for several minutes. Al wished he would stop, because he was getting light headed from the overexposure to Scorpius's grin. Al and Scorpius's jumpers were identically awful, apart from the monogram, both a lurid shade of lime green that would perfectly match their Healer's robes, with red letters. Al's bore a large "A.S." on the chest, and Scorpius's just an "S". Everyone clambered into their new jumpers, as tradition dictated, throwing them on over top of whatever else they were already wearing. After everyone had theirs on, James's face rearranged itself into a look of mocking hilarity as he stared at Al and Scorpius sitting across from him.

"Oh, the _irony_!" He fell backwards onto the floor laughing and pointing. Lily giggled hard, but Al's parents had the decency to simply shake their heads and attempt to hide their smirks upon following James's line of vision.

Al and Scorpius turned and looked at one another, Al on Scorpius's right. Their jumpers, when combined, very clearly spelled out "A.S.S". Upon figuring out what everyone else was finding so funny, Al promptly pulled off his jumper, scowling and going red. Scorpius just looked away from his disgruntled boyfriend, unable to keep himself from smirking quite obviously, too.


	8. Perfect Love

**Chapter Eight: Perfect Love**

After all the presents had been opened, the mugs of hot cocoa had been drunk, and a few hours had been passed chatting, reminiscing, and laughing, Al and Scorpius had bid everyone a final "Happy Christmas", collected their things, and Disapparated back to their flat. Upon their arrival at home, Persephone wound herself in between their ankles and meowed expectantly. Scorpius bent down and lifted her up from the floor, kissing her on the top of the head. Persephone was affectionate and tolerant for a full-blooded Kneazle. Scorpius walked with her into the kitchen, presumably going to feed her.

Al walked over to their sofa and sat down, waiting for Scorpius to return. Their day had been lovely since the time they had sat down to breakfast, but Al now attempted to push recollections of the night before out of his mind the way he had been doing all day. It had helped that his parents, bless them, hadn't broached the issue, though Al expected at some point it would inevitably crop up again.

Scorpius, much more so than Al, was a master at ignoring and suppressing his feelings. But, sooner or later, Al knew the proverbial Acromantula in the room would rear its ugly head. As terrible as it was, Al sometimes found himself wishing that Scorpius never knew his father. But then, Al always reminded himself, Scorpius wouldn't be the same wonderful person that he so adored. Al knew everything that had transpired the night before meant impending strife, and for Scorpius more than he. However, for now, Al was more than willing and prepared to ignore the fraught nature of Scorpius's family ties, so they could at least enjoy the rest of their Christmas together.

Scorpius reentered the room and came to sit down next to Al on their sofa, very close by his side, their legs touching. Scorpius took both of Al's hands in his and leaned in, placing three soft kisses down Al's cheek. Al smiled shyly and sweetly in a way that always made Scorpius go to pieces. He wrapped his arms around Al's waist, drawing him in even closer, which was scarcely possible, so that Al was practically in his lap. Al's fingers found Scorpius's hair and entwined themselves, causing Scorpius to emit a barely-audible moan against Al's mouth, as they kissed slowly, and deeply, and deliciously. Suddenly, Al came to his senses and remembered his original intentions for when Scorpius came back into the room. He therefore removed his hands from Scorpius's hair and placed them on his chest, breaking their kiss.

"I want to give you your present!" Al whispered excitedly between them.

Scorpius tried to look enthusiastic rather than disappointed as Al got up and retreated into their guest bedroom, where he had Scorpius's present hidden.

"Close your eyes!" Al called to Scorpius, still in the other room.

Scorpius obeyed, feeling a little silly sitting on their sofa alone with his eyes squeezed shut. He heard Al coming back into the room after a moment, though. When Al reached him, Scorpius could discern that he had set something heavy down on the floor in front of him.

"Alright, open them!" Al said delightedly.

Scorpius did, and his mouth promptly fell open at what he saw. Al had gotten him a brand new, solid gold cauldron, which had a large festive bow tied around it, and he had filled it with numerous other smaller gifts, all fitting into the potion-making theme. Scorpius sprang to his feet and pounced on Al, lifting him off the ground and spinning him around, which in itself demonstrated the strength of his adrenaline rush, considering Al weighed about the same as Scorpius did. Scorpius set Al down and kissed him over and over again.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Scorpius insisted in between kisses. "Al, you're incredible!"

"You haven't even properly looked at it yet," Al objected mildly, even as he looked positively elated at Scorpius's reaction.

Scorpius compliantly knelt down and examined his new cauldron.

"Solid gold, obviously, size five, self-stirring, collapsible. Al, you've totally outdone yourself!" Scorpius smiled up at Al so radiantly, that it made Al's heart skip a beat.

"Well," Al murmured, going a little pink at Scorpius's joyous intensity, "our old one was nearly scorched through on the bottom, thanks to all your late-night brewing. So, I figured, why not go all out? Anyway, look inside it already!"

Scorpius did so, and he smiled even more broadly, if possible, as he took each item out and placed it carefully on the floor beside him. Al was sitting on the floor with Scorpius now, which was helpful, as Scorpius was finding it necessary to kiss him and thank him after removing each individual article from the cauldron. In all, Al had gotten him four books, entitled _The Experimental Potioneer: Techniques for Research and Methodology (With a Foreword by Damocles, Inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion), Wisdom from the Apothecary: A Scholarly Encyclopedia of Rare and Little Known Potion Ingredients, Their Effects, and Brewing Techniques, The Healer's Guide to Modern Developments in Mind Healing: The Cruciatus and Imperius Curse, Fourth Edition_, and _An Invitation to Ethics and Standards in Potion Regulation and Testing_. Al had also restocked all of the ingredients that Scorpius currently had on his shopping list for their next trip to Diagon Alley. In addition, he had gotten him a new set of crystal phials, a replacement mortar and pestle (his old one was severely chipped), and a knife set with specific blades for slicing, chopping, crushing, and otherwise preparing specific ingredients.

"Merlin, Al, I don't even know what to say...Except thank you, for the record." Scorpius sounded so pleased and grateful that it made Al get butterflies.

They got up off the floor.

"Don't mention it, love. Just think of it all as intellectual masturbatory aides." Al and Scorpius both laughed at Al's witticism; as Scorpius placed his hands on Al's hips and leaned close to nuzzle their noses together.

"I love you, Albus Severus...and not just because you give phenomenal gifts," Scorpius said, still holding Al against him.

"I know," Al responded, smiling, "and I love you, too...more than anything."

Al leaned forward and closed the two inches between their lips. Scorpius took advantage of Al having his eyes closed. He removed his hands from Al's waist and took the rings he had purchased for them out of his pocket. He put his on quickly, and then took Al's left hand in his, and slid Al's ring onto his left ring finger. Al's colorful eyes fluttered open immediately. He looked down at his left hand, and then at Scorpius's. His eyes found their way back up and Scorpius's face, and he locked eyes with him.

"Happy Christmas, Al," Scorpius whispered affectionately.

Al grinned and threw his arms around Scorpius's neck, hugging him desperately tight. Scorpius wrapped his arms around Al's middle once again. The couple just stood embracing one another for several long moments. When they had finally let go of each other, Scorpius said, "Take it off and look at it. It's engraved on the inside."

Al slid the ring off his finger and held it up close to his eyes. Sure enough, it was engraved with their initials and anniversary. He continued to examine it for a short time, and then put it back on.

"It's Goblin-made silver, which means it won't tarnish, and it repels dirt, and scratches, and all that," Scorpius explained. "I realized I wanted to get us rings after the anniversary of the night we moved in together -"

"- You mean because I coddled you more than ever this year and even made you a nearly inedible dinner?" Al asked, teasing.

The night Scorpius had moved in with Al had been distinctly traumatic for Scorpius. His father had chastised and rejected him, and he had essentially run away from home. In respect of this, every subsequent year thereafter, on the anniversary of that day, Al had always taken the opportunity to go out of his way to demonstrate to Scorpius how much he cared for him.

"That's exactly why, actually," Scorpius agreed. "It was right after Grandfather's funeral, and things were - still are - so fucked up between my father and I, and the fact that you cared so much about my feelings, my happiness, my contentment, just sort of made me realize once and for all that for me, it's only ever been you, Al. And, more importantly, it _will_ only ever be you because it has to be, and I need it to be, and I _want_ it to be to the point that I would do anything, or drop everything, just to keep you. That used to terrify me, but now it just gives me purpose. I've been irrevocably in love with you, in one way or another, since the first time I looked up and saw those earth-shatteringly green eyes when I was eleven years old. Anyway, after that day a few months ago, I felt like I wanted to give you something, a tangible reminder that I love you unconditionally, and that I always will. I settled on rings, because it was the obvious choice, I suppose. So, I went and had them commissioned, and, well, the rest is history...Do you like them?" Scorpius finished, his voice soft.

"Absolutely not. I_ love_ them. Thank you; thank you a million times over. I adore them, and I adore you, Scorpius Hyperion. With every fiber of my being, I adore you...and not just because you give phenomenal gifts," Al added, smiling with so much love in his eyes that Scorpius feared he might just melt under his vibrant gaze.

Scorpius smiled back, it was all he could do. Then he began talking again, remembering something he should have told Al a long time before now, "Al, I need to tell you that I'm sorry for last night. I'm sorry that I made you come to that party with me, I'm sorry that I got pissed; I'm sorry that I acted like an arse and humiliated you, I'm sorry your family got dragged into it. I'm sorry that I have a dolt for a father and that he humiliated you, too, and was rude to you, and –"

Al placed a finger over Scorpius's lips, silencing him.

"Scorpius, shhh. I forgave you last night, before you even knew what you did. And as far as your father...never apologize for him, Scorpius. You are not Draco."

Scorpius's lips collided with Al's the second he had finished his statement. This kiss was crushing, and deep, and passionate, and long, and _glorious_, their lips fused together as though, in that moment, their lives depended on the connection. When they finally broke apart, reluctantly, Al shook his head a little, gazing up at Scorpius, and said, breaking the mood somewhat, "Damn, Scorpius, Goblin-made silver? That must have cost you a -"

"- Fortune, yeah," Scorpius admitted, finishing Al's sentence, "but you're more than worth it, Al. And besides, I've got about six fortunes sitting under Diagon Alley, and only one lifetime in which to spend them all on you." Scorpius winked at Al, grinning adorably.

Al rolled his eyes and shook his head, his own grin plastered on his face all the while in a way that made him wonder if he'd _ever_ be able to stop looking so love struck and giddy. He hoped he'd never be able to stop _feeling_ so love struck and giddy. Last night, Al would have told anyone who asked him that this had been his worst Christmas ever. Tonight, he would say that it had been his best.

A few hours later, as Al lay in Scorpius's arms in the centre of their bed, skin on warm skin, feeling drowsy and incredibly satisfied, he knew that many things in the world would always be imperfect. Even in the reality of this knowledge, though, Al knew that there was one thing that _was_ perfect, for when he looked up into Scorpius's sleepy grey eyes, and saw his adoration mirrored there, perfection was all he could see, perfect love.

**The end. **


End file.
